Luigi's Quest
by crazyweirdpickel
Summary: Luigi and his friends work together to stop rising evil from damaging their world and their friendships. But can Luigi deal with the challenges and his own problems? Rated Teen for some language, violence, and romance (No F-Bombs I promise). I do not own the Mario characters, rights go to Nintendo.
1. Somber Slumber

**Act One**

Chapter One: Somber Slumber

Strokes of black and blue shimmered above a little kingdom known as the Mushroom Kingdom. Little houses resembling toadstools dotted the terrain and stone walkways were traced with golden, blue, and purple wildflowers. An earthy petrichor drifted through the crisp air. A towering castle stood in the center, the moat protecting it glistening with beauty with the reflection of the stars in the sky. What a beautiful place.

This place was inhabited by little mushroom people called Toads. Few roamed the streets- most of them were sleeping with their families at this hour- but not because of any danger. In fact, it would've been the safest place there is if it weren't for its leader who was always missing.

Oh, how precious the leader was- a fine princess that tourists often gossiped about; declared that she was the most gorgeous woman in the land- perhaps that was why she was kidnapped frequently.

I'm afraid we aren't here to talk about the beauty and safety of the Mushroom Kingdom when it's past eleven.

In the midst of all the mushroom houses was a two-story wooden house with a brick roof. A blue-and-white mailbox sat in the bright-green grass along the dirt path. An old white picket fence that constantly bit the dust encircled the house. On the side of the house hung a barren clothesline that usually bolstered various articles of clothing during the daytime- overalls, shirts, and socks.

Within the house resided two brothers- twin brothers, to be exact.

On one side of their room was a twin bed with some socks and denim overalls laying at its base. Alongside the bed, a shelf supported countless dusty trophies carelessly arrayed. A man on the chubby side snoozed in a red blanket, his snoring tousling the bristly hair resting above his lip. His face was round and his eyebrows thick. This man was Mario.

The other side of the room was cleaner. A family picture was fixed to the wall next to another twin bed. In this bed was Mario's little brother, who was lanky with an elongated face. The dark pensile hair under his nose had been smartly combed. This man was Luigi.

Normally, both siblings would be winners at catching Z's, but not tonight.

While Mario was dreaming about a special girl, Luigi fell into a frightening reverie. Images played through his head over and over- images that startled him. He dangled from a tree, his body heavy and limp. Then he was looming over his older brother who was bloody at his feet. Then he began to sink into a deep pool of water.

His blanket fell to his side as an invisible wind thrust him upwards. A very lucid explosion disturbed his senses, jolting him awake. Two piercing blue eyes shattered the darkness. Luigi woke to his body swimming in cold nothingness. His hands flailed about, desperately trying to grasp something, anything. Terrified, Luigi screamed, but an unknown force squeezed his windpipes. Only a tiny wail escaped from his lips. Then his body came crashing down as if whatever was holding him had let go.

A high-pitched scream flew out of his mouth. He bolted upright in bed, his thin frame rattling violently as he drew in shaky breaths. Hugging his blanket to his chest, he sucked in a ball of air and released it. He listened as his heartbeat began to slow. Then, just when he thought he was feeling better, his stomach flipped sideways. Grimacing, he covered his mouth and resisted the urge to make a floor pizza.

After fighting a fit of nausea, Luigi glanced around the room. He didn't know what he was expecting to see- a ghost of some sort, perhaps. After they adjusted to the dark, his eyes landed on the family portrait on the wall. He and his brother were in the center of Toad Town, smiling and in a warm embrace. Luigi couldn't help but grin, a warm feeling rising in his chest. Then the picture dropped, skidding down the wall and crashing to the floor. There was a heavy clunk accompanied by the sound of glass breaking, followed by a shriek.

Luigi slid out of bed, the thump of his own feet hitting the floor almost startling him. The frame of the picture had shattered into crystalline shards that decorated the wooden floor. Sighing, Luigi bent down to pick up the beloved photo, but his stomach turned over again. He rocked himself back to his feet.

He peered through the small window, trying to distract himself. A toothy smile hovered above the distant Mushroom Castle. Luigi tore his eyes away, only to look back up and realize it was just the moon.

He glanced over at his big brother who was sleeping like a baby. For a moment, he considered waking him. Then he remembered the last time he woke his brother over a dream. Mario wouldn't stop coddling him for days. The idea left his brain, but another entered it.

Luigi reached underneath his bed, his fingers striking against cold metal. He dragged what appeared to be a modified vacuum cleaner out from under the bed. In one swift motion, he had strapped the contraption to his back. He aimed the hose at the wall, assuming a defensive stance.

"Alright! I have my Poltergust ready, and I am not afraid to use it!" he shouted to the wall, his voice carrying a clear Italian accent. Fully alert and pushing fear aside, he scanned the room. His sixth sense greeted him with a frigid chill that crawled down his sweaty back.

_Something is definitely here_, he thought.

* * *

_Focus. Concentrate. One small misstep could demolish everything you had worked toward thus far_, thought a princess who drifted in space in her Comet Observatory. She held a knife in between slender yet flawless fingers and began scrutinizing her masterpiece, her beautiful cyrean eyes depicting her intense concentration. She swiped a silky wisp of strawberry-blonde hair out of her view, then grabbed a puffy bag from the marbled counter. The bag was chock-full of sweet lilac buttercream.

_Don't mess this up_, she continued to remind herself.

She arched over her kitchen counter, a bead of sweat running down her face to the tip of her nose. Closing one eye, she gave the piping bag a gentle squeeze. The buttercream slithered out of its bag with ease. She piped tiny swirls, forming a star on top of a brilliant three-decker cake.

_Perfection._

This young woman was Rosalina, the princess of the galaxies. She wore a white sweater, its sleeves rolled up to the nook of her elbow, and a pair of dark jeans. A shiny star necklace dangled from her neck. She was very long, reaching a staggering 7'7 in height.

Rosalina slid her hands underneath the base of her creation and gave it a lift. The cake wobbled a little, then stabilized. It was heavier than it looked.

"All finished!" she sang. Her voice was deep with a gentle sound. A shrill voice screamed from behind, "MAMA!" Startled, Rosalina flung her hands upward, the cake flying in the air before landing with a splat on the counter.

"_Merda_," she cursed under her breath, frowning at the mess in front of her. She turned to face one of her Lumas, that is, a young star. It lit the room with a pleasant orange radiance. The Luma eyed the mess behind her.

"Oh, sorry, Mama," it mumbled, though loud enough to hear. Rosalina put on a smile to hide her frustration. "It's alright, Taurus. Now, what can I help you with?"

_I'll never know how that cake turned out. But at least I get to make another one._

"Mama, there was a report of a huge amount of power emanating in a small area," replied Taurus. Rosalina raised an eyebrow. "Danger level?" "Moderate." "Zone?" The Luma paused before responding. "The-the Mushroom Kingdom." Rosalina nearly choked on air, her mind flooding with foggy memories.

_The Mushroom Kingdom. I can't go back now, the 100-year cycle has not yet completed._

"Show me," she said at last. Before leaving the kitchen, she swiped up a dollop of frosting with her finger from the counter.

_Mmm. Tasty. But not nearly as tasty as how Mama used to make it._

The ponytail at the top of her head bouncing around, Rosalina followed Taurus to the map of the entire universe at the center of her observatory. She examined the holographic image and, sure enough, spotted a dark yellow dot in the Mushroom Kingdom area.

"How long?" she asked, pinching the map to zoom it in. As the area grew closer, she could make out where exactly the dot was- the Mario brothers' house.

"Well, um, the dot came from the Bean Bean Kingdom and stopped here a few hours ago," Taurus said. Rosalina sighed. "And you waited to tell me… why?" If he had legs, he would have scuffed the ground with guilt. "I didn't think it was an issue until now! I'm sorry!" He spoke rapidly, his roundish body bobbing up and down in the air and his tiny stubby arms raised. Tears formed in his beady black eyes. Rosalina swiped him out of the air before he could cry, engulfing him in a tight hug. "Calm down, Taurus, it's okay."

They turn back to the map. The yellow dot seemed like it was increasing in size. Rosalina blinked. "Is it getting bigger?" Taurus squinted at it. "Wait, no, it's coming closer!" Eyes wide as dinner plates, the two whirled around frantically, not knowing what they were even looking for. Soon after, a loud crash rattled the ship, coming from the Terrace.

A tiny pink Luma zoomed toward them, quivering with fright. "Mama, someone fell into the Terrace; they broke your telescope!" Rosalina's heart dropped.

_No._

Paling, she took a breath and marched to the Terrace, her Lumas floating behind her.

Someone groaned from within. The voice was high-pitched and rough simultaneously- a young man's, perhaps. Rosalina hovered inside so that her heels wouldn't make annoying click-clacking noises.

There was a pile of rubble- a very indistinct pile of rubble- that sat in the far side of the room. It was a pile of old cloak and shiny metal. Rosalina approached it, holding her breath. The star children stopped in the doorway.

"Hello?" she called. Part of her hoped that it would be Mario. But if it was, that would mean that something was terribly wrong. A figure emerged from the mess on the floor, wearing an old brown cloak. Only a dazzling smile could be seen underneath his hood. Under the dirty brown cloak, the figure wore a glittery white-and-blue striped jumpsuit and a green belt with a star pin in the center. The straightforward description- he looked like an incognito Christmas elf.

Rosalina squeezed her wand that she held defensively behind her leg. She took a moment to recall her father's training, then spoke.

"Who are you?" she bellowed, her tone firm but kind. The elf guy shook invisible dust off his shiny white knee-high boots.

"Oh, you wouldn't know, would you?" he replied simply with a wave of his gloved hand. He took a step toward her. "Since you're going to ask, I'll tell you what I'm doing here. See, I need a place to plot. I was... kicked out of my own house so I really need somewhere to go."

Rosalina relaxed.

_Just a guy looking for a home that happened to stumble in here._

She opened her mouth to reply sweetly, "Sure! I'll bake you a cake!" but instead took a careful thought about what the man had said to her.

"What are you planning?" she said. She increased the distance between them. The stranger's smile grew wider. He replied, excitedly, "Oh, I'm coming up with the greatest plan yet!" He clapped with glee. "I'll tear up Mario and his friends' life so bad, they'll never get over it! And you'll be in it, too!"

That crossed the line for Rosalina. The hand behind her back shot forward, clutching the wand with a fierce grip and aiming it at his face. She could've blown his head off right then and there.

"What did you just say?" she growled, taken aback. The man stepped closer, ignoring the tip of the wand poking the top of his head, and let out a sigh. "I knew you wouldn't let me." It was hard to tell but he was pouting like a scolded child. His smile returned just before his body vanished in a puff of glitter.

Rosalina blinked. She swirled around the room, confused.

_Another one of Mario's enemies, I presume. But why visit me?_

The Lumas, still cowering in the doorway, gaped and huddled together. Rosalina stopped at the end of the room, where the pile of metal still laid. She'd forgotten about that. Her mouth hung open as she dropped to her knees.

_This was the only thing I had that belonged to him._

The pace of her heart quickening, she swallowed tears and gently picked up the long scope. Both lenses at each end had shattered. Closing her eyes, she hugged the piece of metal and with a shaky breath cried softly, "I'm sorry, Papa."

After a moment of lament, Rosalina lifted herself back into the air and darted out the door.

_He threatened my family. And he destroyed the telescope. He'll pay._ These thoughts swirled around her head as she swirled around the observatory. The hand holding her wand trembled, itching for action. At last, she spotted the puff of glitter.  
The intruder stood at the rounded edge of the observatory, where just a foot beyond him was nothing but black and stars. The reflection of the distant galaxies shone in a pair of goggles strapped over his eyes. Rosalina whirled around him, blocking the edge and towering over him to look more intimidating. "I'm going to need an explanation from you before I vaporize you." She raised her wand again, expecting answers, but only got a straight face from the man.

"You think I'm going to reveal my whole plan this early?" he chortled, his hands on his hips. "No. But I will execute one part of it right now. Sorry about this."

Before Rosalina could react, a fist drilled into her gut. She saw nothing but a blur as her body was sent flying past the horizon. The last thing she saw was the stranger standing on her observatory with a smug grin plastered on his face.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_What's going on with Luigi? And just who was that stranger that encountered Rosalina?_

This is my first story, so any constructive criticism is appreciated, but no hate!

I do have my own headcanons/theories, so if you don't like them, click the back button or something.


	2. Good Morning?

Chapter Two: Good Morning?

Luigi was standing on top of his bed, his ghost-catching device still strapped to his pj's. The crimson sun shone through the window, projecting orange rays that warmed the room. It occurred to Luigi then that he'd gotten no sleep at all. And the punishment for no shut-eye was bloodshot eyes, fatigued limbs, and a terrible headache. Luigi yawned and glanced out the window. The awful smile was gone but now the sunlight was burning a hole in his pupils. As he whirled away, his eyes fell on Mario.  
"I hope you slept well, bro," he whispered. "Better than me."

Luigi stepped down from his bed and grabbed the green hat on his side of the dresser and put it on, tucking tufts of dark brown hair underneath. On the front of the hat was a big letter L. He'd owned this hat for as long as he could remember.

The tired Italian-American man trudged to the closet on the far side of the room and swung open the doors. One side was neatly organized- everything hung up and wrinkle-free- and the other side had a massive pile of balled-up clothes that smelled like a squashed onion on a sidewalk on a hot summer day. Luigi pulled out a pair of pale blue overalls and gave them a sniff to ensure they weren't his brother's before sliding them on. Then he put on his trusty, comfy brown boots. He turned to the mirror inside the closet and struck a sexy pose, only to make himself look goofy and stupid. He gagged and escaped from the closet before he saw any more of himself.

Luigi went downstairs, every now and then leaning over to pull down the legs of his overalls, which bounce back up defiantly. He cut through the dining room, which had stone walls and a round wooden table in the center. He passed the wine cabinet- a family heirloom they received after their father passed away that held various bottles of vintage Italian wine- and reached the kitchen.

The kitchen was clean for the most part- except for a few mystery stains on the stovetop. The walls were off-white, same with the surface of the wooden counter. The floors had black-and-white tiles in a checkered pattern. Impressive stacks of dishes and cutlery dared to stay upright on the counter along with a line of jars that contained garlic, sugar, flour, eggs, cheese, and dried tomatoes and peppers. If you so much as step in the doorway you'd be slapped with the smell of old spaghetti. The brothers were proud of their little kitchen.

Luigi opened the fridge, which was mostly filled with normal fridge contents and leftovers from the past two weeks. There was hardly ever green within- except for the occasional salad that would get neglected and rotten by the end of the week.

He took out a small jar of butter from the fridge and grabbed two slices of bread from the overhead cabinet above the stove. He slid the middle plate out from the stack of dishes.

Then Luigi began preparing his breakfast. He cracked two eggs in a saucepan that had been heated on the stove and watched them sizzle. While he was waiting for the toast to pop out of the toaster, he turned on the coffee machine and waited for it to get started. A loud ding made Luigi yelp and fumble with his favorite green mug. Sometimes he hated that toaster. "Hot hot hot!" he shrieked, gripping the searing toast with two fingers. He threw it on his plate, letting out a sigh of relief.

Salt, fresh ground pepper, and oregano went on top of the sunny-side-up eggs that simmered on the stove. The eggs went on top of buttered toast and two tomato slices topped them off. Luigi carried the plate with two hands to the dining room table. He was poised to sit down when he smelled the strong scent of vanilla and coffee beans. He swung around the chair and hurried back into the kitchen. Steam rose from the brewer with a quiet hiss. Luigi swiped the pot from the machine and poured steaming black coffee into his mug. Taking a refreshing sniff, he carefully grasped the mug by the handle and brought it to the table. He flinched when he saw what was there.

"_Buongiorno_, Luigi!" Mario was hunched over the freshly-made plate of breakfast, smiling. He was fully dressed in a bright red shirt and a pair of equally bright overalls over it. His hair was darker than usual and dripping. "Thanks for the breakfast!" He picked up both pieces of toast and slurped their toppings off before shoving the remains in his mouth, not even bothering to remove his white gloves first, then licked his lips. Luigi sighed.

_Why do I even bother making breakfast in the morning?_

"Good morning to you, too, bro!" Luigi said with a simulated cheer. Part of him hoped his big brother didn't see past the disingenuous smile he was putting on, while another part longed for him to notice he was faking.

Mario's smile widened, not even blinking at the obvious show his little brother was putting on. He flicked a bread crumb from his recently-trimmed mustache and rose from the table. Luigi sipped his coffee, relishing in the faux energy now coursing through his body that he knew wouldn't last two hours, then snatched a dishrag from the sink. With one hand, Luigi held up the empty plate, and with the other, he wiped the table clean.  
"How are you this morning?" his brother said from the other side of the room. Luigi didn't turn to face him, only stared at the contents of his coffee mug. For a second, he imagined getting swallowed by its darkness. Would anyone look for him? Luigi replied, though reluctantly, "I had a horrible dream last night, so I'm a little shaken up, but I'm fine." He sipped more coffee, already feeling the jitteriness creeping up.  
"You're looking exquisitely gorgeous today," cooed Mario from across the room.

At first, Luigi didn't realize how weird that statement sounded. His chest swelled with confidence. Tucking his thumbs underneath the straps on his overalls, he replied rather smugly, "Why, thank you. I guess I am very _attraente_ today-"

_Wait, what?_

He whirled to find Mario leaning on the wall next to a large portrait of their ruler, Princess Peach, a dazed look on his brother's face. Sighing, he footslogged out the door and slumped on the porch. He took a deep breath; basked in the smell of fresh morning dew in the air.  
"What is wrong with me today?" he wondered out loud.

* * *

His eyes wide, Mario admired his princess. He slithered his finger down the canvas, tracing every curve carefully. Then he snatched his finger back.  
"I'm-a sorry," he whispered. "I know you wanted some space since I was being a little too pushy on the moon." He recalled that day and let out a sigh as he scratched his round, protruding belly.

I wish we could be close again. He pushed that thought out of his head, not wanting to get too distracted today. He turned back to the kitchen, expecting Luigi to still be there, and said before checking, "And how is my little bro doing this morning?" He huffed when he was greeted with silence. "Luigi? Eh, probably went to the store to get dinner stuff."

_At least we're close. Although, if he was going to the store, he should've told me. I would have asked him to get more ricotta._

Mario went back to cherishing the girl on the wall.

* * *

Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom was waking up from a pleasant slumber. She blinked sleep from her eyes and yawned. She had plump, strawberry lips and rosy cheeks. Her face was impeccable; would make any male go one sandwich short of a picnic. Her neat hands slid across the puffy periwinkle bedspread draped across her lap. The wooden door at the end of the long room creaked open and a little female Toad person bounced inside, the fat purple pigtails on her big head bouncing right along with her.  
"Good morning, your majesty!" she sang with a shrill, raspy voice. She gave a little curtsey out of respect. The purple Toad held a tray that carried a clipboard, little porcelain cups, and a teapot that released a sweet flowery smell into the air. She put the tray down on the vanity dresser against the wall then removed the clipboard from it. "Good morning, Toadeanna," Peach sang back with equal happiness, her eyes sparkling like sapphire gems. She slid out of her queen-sized bed. Toadeanna tapped a pen against her clipboard and spoke, "On the agenda today, your majesty, you have written, and I quote-"

Toadeanna read aloud the princess' schedule.

Princess Daisy of Sarasaland should be arriving at 11 o'clock. At 2, a meeting with the council regarding the Poison Mushroom Outbreak. At 3 is Mario's Striker game. At 6, going to his house for dinner and at 9, a stroll in the garden.

"Aw, a walk in the garden sounds lovely," said Toadeanna, to herself really, then said to the princess, "You have quite a busy schedule today." Peach went over to her very private bathroom and stepped inside for a quick shower, throwing off her velvety white gown. About five or six minutes later, she emerged from the now steamy bathroom in a bathrobe. Toadeanna, still standing in the same spot, threw open the princess' grand closet.

Her long blonde hair dripping from the shower, the mushroom princess leaped inside her closet and ran her fingers across every garment within. The closet was so deep that anyone could get lost in it. Moments later, Peach came twirling out in a fluffy pink dress that didn't go past her knees; that showed only a smitch of cleavage. Toadeanna gave an indecipherable look.  
"If I'm going to be so busy today," Peach started, "then I'd better dress comfortably." The purple toad replied with a "hmm" before blinking away the subject.

Finally, Princess Peach left her room, ready to start the day. Her hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. White stockings covered her legs and short tan boots covered her small feet. On her face, she had applied nude lipstick, blue eyeshadow, black mascara, and light pink blush. She held her chin in the air and kept her fingers locked together as she traveled through the hall and down the stairs.

The dining room was one of the best rooms in the castle. A stained glass window portraying an intricate design of Princess Peach herself bounced fluorescent colors throughout the room. Not a stain spoiled the lush purple carpet. Peach sat in her cozy chair at the end of the extraordinarily-long dinner table, folded her hands in her lap, and waited. Soon after, two Toads chased a rolling cart of assorted breakfast foods into the room. They pulled on the cart, skidding across the room and stopping next to the table.  
"Breakfast!" one of them cried cheerfully. Peach blinked and a tray with biscuits, scones, croissants, sausages, rice, tea, and fruit was right under her nose. She thanked them with a sweet grin. As she began daintily eating her food, a doddery Toad with brown spots on his head hobbled into the room with a cane in hand.  
"How is my fine princess this morning?" he said, his voice gruff but kind; that of a typical man advanced in his years. His sudden entry startling her, Peach dropped what she was eating on. A Toad lunged for the morsel, catching it and saving it from the floor, and showed his buddy the trophy for his mediocre feat- a half-eaten biscuit.  
"Just wonderful, Toadsworth," Peach replied. With a gentle brush of her napkin, she wiped a crumb away that was hiding in the corner of her lips. "Daisy is visiting, then I'm going to Mario's house later." Toadsworth let out an awkward chuckle. "That's nice, dearest."

Peach clutched her heart at the thought of Mario, her hero. He'd always been there to rescue her every time peril got ahold of her. But they were just friends, she'd told herself. It was cliché to think of your hero as your love. Although, when she kissed his nose or cheek as a thank you, they both would feel the heat radiating from their faces. And the hero's little brother, whose name often escaped her, would turn away every time they shared a moment like this. She'd wondered countless times why that was.

Peach finished the last of her breakfast then stood up from the table, leaving the plates for the Toads to clean up. Her belly now content, she made her way to the main chamber where she pushed open the grand double doors leading outside. The sunlight shone through, blanketing her in warmth. She paused to admire the hazy reflection of the clear blue sky atop the cool waters of the castle moat. The smell of earth and fresh flowers wafted through her nose as she walked past her flower bushes.  
"I have a feeling that this is going to be a great day," she sighed contentedly.

* * *

Luigi's eyes darted around the room, searching for something- anything that would distract him from what he was feeling. The linen-scent disinfectant and chamomile tea fumes kept crawling their way into his nasal passages. The tapping of a pen against a hard surface and the ticking of a clock on the wall was almost hypnotizing. His legs were dulling in feeling, despite resting on a plush sofa.

He really hated this place. But somehow he ended up here again.  
"Luigi, it's good to see you again. How are you?" the smooth voice of the psychotherapist rung in his ears, but it wasn't louder than his heartbeat. At last, Luigi's eyes settled on something- the Toad with dark blue spots on his head that sat in front of him, aka his therapist.  
"I'm not sure," replied Luigi after an eternity, his eyes dropping to the swirling dark brown lines of the coffee table in front of him. The swirls seemed to reach for him, but they were too far away. "I haven't been getting enough sleep lately, and last night… wasn't helping." The therapist leaned in, intrigued. "Tell me more."

"I had this… I dunno, dream? Vision? I saw strange things. Most importantly, my brother. He was-" He winced, the word stuck in his throat. "I could've sworn I was floating. I opened my eyes and a picture breaks itself!"

The therapist's lips prune. "This sounds like you experienced a nightmare, Luigi."

The bone-weary man's stare drilled a hole in the Toad's head. His legs shot upright- his brain didn't tell them to do that.

_Calm down_, he said to his pounding heart. _It probably was just a nightmare._

"But it wasn't a nightmare!" he found himself screaming- he couldn't tell whether it was to his therapist or his own mind. The Toad scooted to the back of his chair as he jotted something down on his clipboard while Luigi freaked out inside.

_Why did I do that? Now I probably seem crazy. I am crazy. He's probably going to send me to a mental hospital where I go completely nuts, get strapped to an electric chair, then eventually raped-_

"Okay," the therapist started, wrecking Luigi's train of thought, "-have you ever heard of lucid dreaming?" Exasperated, Luigi ran his hands through his hair and replied stubbornly, "No, it wasn't a dream or a nightmare- I don't know what it was, but…-", he sighed, "-I haven't had a dream like that since…" He swallowed painful memories and covered his face with his hands in case a tear decided to creep out. He couldn't bring himself to say it. The therapist leaned in again, his eyebrow raised. He was reeking with curiosity now. "Do you want to talk about what happened in that dream?" he asked, his voice like that of a parent's when they're trying but biting the dust to convince their child that veggies really are good for them.  
"No!" blurted Luigi, throwing his hands off his face. "I mean, not today." Luigi sat back down, letting the sofa consume him.

The therapist resumed tapping his pen against the clipboard. Luigi glanced at some photos tacked on the wall- photos of friends smiling and laughing together. Unrealistic, thought Luigi bitterly.  
"Okay, we're going to talk about last week's homework," the psychotherapist said, his beady eyes locking on Luigi. "Have you found any ways to rectify your stress levels?" Luigi stared at the peppermint-stripe pattern on his socks. He responded with a slow nod and a quiet "Yeah. I like dancing." The therapist's mouth flashed a smile. "That's good."

Then the sun thought it was a good time to peek through the window and melt Luigi's brain. Luigi groaned and covered his eyes. Sleep deprivation slapped him in the face as he stood up and mumbled, "I'm sorry, can we talk again another day, I'm really exhausted." His knees buckled and fought to support what little weight he had. The mental therapist nodded and rose from his chair. "Of course, Luigi." He moved around the coffee table and attempted to hug the distressed man- but since Luigi was so tall, it just looked like he was grabbing his waist. "The fee still applies, however." Luigi advanced toward the door, happy to actually have an excuse to leave this time. Just when he was in the doorway, the therapist said, "Hey, isn't Princess Daisy visiting today?" Luigi perked up. There was a flutter in his chest at the mention of her. "Mm-hmm." A cheeky smile stretched across the Toad's face.  
"Better chin up, kid, you wouldn't want to be distraught in front of your girlfriend. You might miss out on the-" Luigi cut the sentence with a wave of his hand, smiling coyly.

_We aren't at that status yet. Are we?_

"Alright, I'll try. Thank you," he said, turning back to the exit. "_Ciao_."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_How will the rest of our fellow protagonists' day go?_

I was so ecstatic after finishing this chapter that I forgot to add an author's note at first!


	3. Striker Quarrel

Chapter Three: Striker Quarrel

Princess Daisy was so excited to finally be exiting the stuffy airplane. She watched through the tiny window as Toad Town grew larger and larger.

"Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom," the Koopa pilot said. He didn't need to tell her twice. Daisy sprung up from her seat, the beige seat bouncing up as well. She took a moment to smooth the wrinkles from her yellow summer dress before galloping to the front of the airplane.

"Hey!" she screeched to a Koopa and a Doogan, who were both sprawled across the seats in the back, their snores echoing throughout the small plane. They shrieked and hopped to their feet.

"Yes, Princess Daisy, ma'am?" they said in unison, both fumbling with their shoddy uniforms. Daisy shot a finger at her pile of luggage that was strapped to some seats. "Get my stuff!" The flight attendants bobbed their heads up and down vigorously. "Yes, Princess Daisy, ma'am!" They yanked a suitcase from the bottom of the luggage pile and ended up drowning in it. Daisy rolled her eyes.

_Men can be so dumb._

She swung open the airplane door, which gave a loud yawn. The air was cool and sweet and the sun rained warmth over her tan skin. Daisy stepped out of the plane, the grass crunching beneath her brown boots.

"Ah. The Mushroom Kingdom," she sighed as she tucked a tuft of auburn hair back into the braided donut bun balancing on top of her head. "Is it wrong to say this place almost beats Sarasaland?"

"Yes. Sarasaland is beautiful," said a distant voice that struck Daisy as familiar. She turned to the voice to see her best friend standing by the wing of the plane.

"Peach, my girl!" she yelled, her teal eyes lighting up with joy, and rushed over there. Peach didn't have time to curtsey before Daisy wrapped her arms around her and squeezed.

"Good to see you too, Daisy," wheezed Peach, patting her on the arm. Daisy let go of her and watched with a frisky grin on her face as Peach stumbled back. Then she scanned her up and down.

"You're looking good, girlfriend!" Daisy put her gloved hands on her hips. Peach beamed, though a little awkwardly. "You too, um, girlfriend."

* * *

Luigi ran through Toad Town, clutching his hat to his head. He didn't bother apologizing as he zoomed past Toads about the streets. He focused on the tapping of his feet brushing the ground and the loud thumping in his chest.

Out of everything in life, he loved running. When he ran, his mind was clear and he could forget about his problems. He wasn't a loser, number two, Green Mario. He wasn't too skinny, too cowardly. He didn't cry too much and he wasn't always stuck in his brother's shadow. He was merely a green blur flying through the wind- a streak of confidence.

Luigi vaulted over a crate of apples, ignoring the Toad's cries of annoyance.  
"Who was that?" he heard someone say. Luigi turned his head. What a mistake that move was. His legs collided with something and his body was sent sprawling across the sidewalk. Several screams were heard. The green blur landed face-down into a pile of mud. Luigi staggered to his feet, wiping chunks of sod off his face. When he finished, he noticed two young Toads glaring at him.  
"Just who do you think you are?!" one of the kids hollered. His stare was the equivalent of a laser beam. "You messed up our jump rope!" Luigi sighed.

_Damn, I did it again. But they're just kids. I won't get beat up like last time._

The full-grown adult straightened his spine, rolled up his sleeves, took a breath, and bellowed, "Next time, play with your jump rope off the sidewalk!" Actually, he didn't say that. That's what he was supposed to say. What came out of his mouth was, "N-next time, uh, p-pl- um, well, I mean, I'm s-sorry, running, s-sidewalk, didn't mean to- uh, you need to- um-" He face-palmed, groaning.

_My mouth failed me. Again._

Luigi tried to swallow the pounding heart in the throat as more kids approached him with menacing glares.

"Get him!" a kid yelled, aiming a finger. Luigi whirled frantically, surrounded by tiny Toad children raising tiny fists.

"Oh sh-" Luigi started to bleat, then sharply corrected himself with respect for the preservation of the innocence of the children. "_Merda_!" He took a step back just as one of the kids slung the jump rope under his feet. He stumbled and crashed to the ground, the fall knocking the air out of his lungs. Tiny fists hammered his arms and chest. The back of his head stung and the rest of his body had lost all feeling. The world swam before his eyes as he struggled to take a breath. His eyes managed to focus on a kid that stood over him. The girl had an evil grin plastered on his face as she swung a pair of scissors with her fingers. Luigi's eyes went wide.

"No, please! Not my mustache!" he screamed, a hot tear running down his cheek. He closed his eyes and prepared for the inevitable. Then he felt hands sliding under his armpits and pulling him upwards. He opened his eyes. His legs dangled off the ground.

"Sorry, kids, this belongs to me!" a voice yelled in his ear. The voice was confident and feminine. He knew who it belonged to instantly. The kids gaped at his savior.

"Oh no! That must be his mom!" one of them whispered loudly. They began to back away. Luigi heard a hearty laugh that sent a warm electric jolt through his veins.

"That's right, scram!" the voice said. Luigi sighed in relief. The hands spun his body around. Luigi yelped.

Now he was pressing against the breasts of his love interest. His heart throbbed in his chest so hard, he felt like he was going to implode, and he hoped she didn't feel it. Glowing red, he said sheepishly, "H-hi, Daisy." The freckles on her cheeks shifted position as she grinned.

"H-hi, Luigi!" she teased. Then she released her grip on him. He was two inches from landing on his butt when Daisy caught his hand and yanked him to his feet. After steadying himself, Luigi brushed dirt off his overalls. Daisy raised an eyebrow after looking him up and down.

"You look like shit," she said, her voice taking a different tone. Luigi's heart fell. _Does she really think that?_ he thought miserably. Daisy guffawed at her statement, causing him to jump back in surprise. She wiped tears from her eyes.

"Man, you gotta learn how to take some criticism," she chortled, poking Luigi's nose. Luigi rubbed the hurt from it, whining "Ow…" under his breath. Daisy blew some flyaway hairs out of her face.

"But seriously, you look terrible. Like someone died. And I'm not talking about your threads. What's going on?" She spoke so fast, it was hard for anyone to keep up. Luigi pulled his face.

_Leave it to Daisy to notice._

Daisy kept talking. "I mean, you just got beat up by a bunch of eight-year-olds! You're stronger than that! You can't just let people…" Her voice trailed off as Luigi began to think.

_Should I tell her what's happened in the past couple of hours? She's really the only person who understands me. But she's so confident and… I'll never be like that. My therapist said that I shouldn't be sad around her. I guess I'll try to be… happier._

Luigi came back into reality to find Daisy's eyes squinting into his soul. He shrieked, which just made her snort.

"Sorry, Daisy, I kinda… um-" he began to apologize, but Daisy finished his sentence, "Got lost in your own head?" She swiped his hat off and gave him a good ole noogie, tussling his hair and ignoring his pleads and cries.

"You're so weird, Luigi," she chuckled, releasing him. Luigi scratched the back of his head and forced a chuckle that to a bystander would have sounded like an old duck's mating call.

Daisy laced her fingers with his, her goofy smile replaced with a different kind. Luigi looked up. He couldn't help but dig his eyes into hers. Despite her fiery personality, her eyes were cool blue. It reminded him of a lake. He imagined swimming in that lake; feeling the swirling waters caress his skin. Daisy leaned in. Luigi breathed in the hot air coming out of her face. She brushed her soft lips against his face and whispered, "That's why I like you. Good weird." Luigi's head spun with warmth. _This woman is mine. _They shuffled closer.

That's when they heard light footsteps, followed by someone saying, "Daisy, were you planning on joining me for the meeting today? It's alright if you don't want to." The two broke away, noticing Princess Peach standing before them with a blank expression. Luigi fiddled with his overall straps.

"Yeah, I'll come. Maybe I can help or something," Daisy said. She gave Luigi a thin-lipped smile, then a playful punch on the shoulder.

"See you around, sweetie."

Luigi watched with a longing look on his face as the girls walked to the castle. He rubbed his shoulder. It didn't burn as much as his desire.

"Bye, Daisy," he said. Once they were out of earshot, he mumbled, clutching his heart, "A_nima gemella._"

_My soulmate. I don't know what I'd do without her._

* * *

The whirring sound of the helicopter blades spinning accompanied by the distant chatter of the crowd below sent sparks of energy coursing through Mario's veins. He peered over the edge- the crowd was just specks of color surrounding a green rounded square.

"Are you nervous when you do this?" the red-shelled Koopa pilot asked from the cockpit. Mario checked the straps on his knee pads. _Secure. _"Never. It's always a thrill, feeling the wind on your face, hearing the crowd cheering and calling your name, and seeing the look on my opponent's faces."

The pilot chuckled. "You never feel fear, do you?" Mario stroked his robust mustache thoughtfully before speaking.

"Everyone feels fear, _paisano_." He sat down and dangled his legs over the edge, the wind brushing past. "It just… doesn't come to me often."  
"I don't know how you do it, man," the pilot sighed. He glanced at his watch. "Alright, you ready, man?" Mario's head bobbed up and down vigorously. The pilot gesticulated, presumably to someone on the ground level.

"Alright, drop in ten."

Mario loosened his shoulders.

_Alright. You got this, Mario. I am the winner._

"Nine. Eight."

_I'm a winner._

"Seven. Six. Five."

_Hmm, I wonder if Peach is here yet- no, no, stop. Don't get distracted. I am a winner._

"Four. Three."

_Winnerwinnerwinner. Winner chicken dinner. Mmm, chicken- stop getting distracted. You're gonna win today._

"Two." The pilot turned in his seat and said with a smile, "One."

Mario bent his knees and leaped out of the helicopter.

"LET'S-A GOOOOOO!" he shouted through the wind. He heard the crowd getting louder and louder as they screamed his name. A smug grin spread across his face as adrenaline pumped through his body. He watched his teammates point to the sky and bounce around. Then he landed on the field, striking a dramatic pose right in front of his nemesis.

"You're dead today." The overweight, unattractive man in front of him growled as he ran a fat finger across his fat neck. His large mouth formed into an evil smile then burst open, guffawing. Mario winced as saliva droplets slapped against his face.

"Good to see you too, Wario," he said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. Wario shook his head and whirled to give his backside a shake. Mario sighed, averting his eyes, then headed to his teammates.

* * *

"Excuse me."

"_Mi scusi,_ I'm just trying to get past you."

"Hey, GET OUTTA THE WAY! We're TRYIN' to get TO OUR SEATS!"

Luigi and the girls squeeze past seated crowd members, desperately trying to get to their reserved spots. Peach found her seat first. Luigi tripped over someone's foot and landed in his seat. Daisy punched a Shy Guy out of her way then plopped into her seat. The three exchanged glances before turning to watch the game.

* * *

Mario stood in center field, his teammates huddling at a distance behind him, determination burning in his eyes. Wario still had a god-awful smile stuck to his face. A drone hovered above them, carrying a glowing metal ball. A buzzer rang in Mario's ears and in just a few seconds, everyone had spread out and the ball was rolling at his feet.

From the metal seat, Luigi watched the striker players run down the field and chase the one with the ball. His eyelids grew heavy all of a sudden. He yawned and adjusted his position, only to end up sliding back down. Don't fall asleep, he told himself. But he found his chin resting on his chest and his breathing slowing. The colors of the Striker Stadium began to blur and the loud jibber-jabber of the crowd reduced to soft ambiance. He felt his body go limp in the chair and surrendered to sleep. Then he heard a muffled voice. He popped his eyes open, not remembering when he'd closed them. Daisy was sliding past the people again, screaming at them to get out of her way.  
"Where are you going, Daisy?" Luigi asked. She pivoted on her heel and flashed a look of annoyance.

"I just told you. I'm going to get some drinks."

Luigi forced his fatigued body to stand.

"No, I'll get drinks," he said, raising a hand. He gave her the sweetest smile he could. Daisy returned it. "Alrighty then." She went back to her seat. The crowd shouted and cursed at him as Luigi maneuvered around them to get to the stairs.

_At least this'll distract me from dozing off._

At last, he spotted the neon lights of the concession area. But he also spotted people making their way over there. He broke into a sprint. Two feet away from the counter, he slid on his shoes to stop only to smack his nose against it. The employee behind the counter jumped back.

"Are you okay, sir?" the young man asked. Dazed, Luigi gave him a thumbs up paired with a weak smile.

Luigi left the concession area carrying a drink in each hand and balancing one drink in the nook of his elbow. Water for Peach and Chuckola Cola for Daisy. He hoped he remembered it right. He was just about to go up the steps when everything turned green. "What's going on?" he cried and whirled around like a dog chasing his tail. That's when he realized his hat was covering his face. He tried to knock the hat back on his head with one of the drinks but the hat lifted itself off. Luigi turned to go back to his seat when a big purple nose obstructed his view. Luigi screamed and threw his hands up. The drinks soared through the air before falling onto the ground and spilling their contents. The owner of the purple nose burst into laughter. Luigi sighed.

_Oh hell no._

"What's up, LOSER?" jeered a very unattractive man. He wore indigo overalls with a purple shirt underneath. The mustache on his face was long and thin, like the rest of his body. His ears were like that of an elf, the same with his shoes. He twirled Luigi's hat on his finger, a mischievous smile creeping over his face. Luigi snatched his hat back.

"C-can you just leave me alone, Waluigi?" he said, then frowned at his stutter, which Waluigi noticed. "C-can you leave me alone?" Waluigi mimicked him, raising the pitch of his voice. Luigi opened his mouth to speak but Waluigi silenced him with a sharp finger jab to the gut. "WA hah ha, you're such a LOSER." Luigi scowled, his teeth gritted.

"And your brother will BE a loser after this game, ha." A sudden fit of rage boiling in his chest, Luigi grabbed Waluigi by the ear to hiss in it, "Mario is NOT going to lose to that fat blubbering stupid ugly dumb idiot you call a brother." Waluigi yanked himself away, a serious expression on his face. He stood there, quiet. The anger left Luigi's body as quickly as it had entered it.

_I didn't hurt him, did I?_ Luigi thought, regretting his word choice. _I'm not going to have to apologize, am I?_

Waluigi tapped his pointy chin, then broke the silence between them. "Nice comeback."

"Alright, see you around, loser," Waluigi said, turning to leave. Luigi sighed in relief. Waluigi was only ten feet away when Luigi's mouth spat out, "Shitbag."

Waluigi stopped walking.

Luigi winced. _Why does my mouth work only when I don't want it to?_

Waluigi turned around slowly. Luigi gulped. "Wah. I almost forgot," said the shitbag. "All losers must receive a complimentary wedgie before I leave." Luigi choked on air. _Oh no._ Waluigi swung his arms out but Luigi ducked and darted away just in time. Luigi ran down a long hallway, ignoring the throbbing in his legs. He laughed. _Got away this time._ He looked over his shoulder, spotting a purple blur heading in his direction. _Dammit_. By the time his head turned back straight, it was too late. He smacked into the dark grey wall and fell to the floor, a sickening crack echoing through the halls. _This is why we watch where we're running, Luigi! _The ceiling swirled before his eyes. His body ached and there was a sharp pain in his nose. He laid there, taking a moment to catch his breath. Breathing he found out to be quite difficult. He was about to scramble to his feet and continue running when his body rose from the ground all by itself.

His rival held him by the overall straps, growling. His face twisted into an ugly sneer. Luigi's stomach sank. _This is it. I'm done. _They stared each other down.

"It's Walu-wedgie time!" exclaimed Waluigi. Before Luigi had time to react, Waluigi had already reached down his overalls and yanked his underwear out and over his head. Luigi waved his arms and legs as he dangled in the air by his drawers. Then Waluigi dropped him and watched him wriggle and scream at his feet. Luigi bit back a naughty curse word, tears forming in his eyes, and croaked, "W...why?" Waluigi reached out a hand to grab him, only to be stopped by a voice.

"Waluigi! What the hell are you doing?" Waluigi's face went blank, but Luigi grinned. Daisy stood at the entrance of the hall. She looked like an angry school principal with her hands on her hips and her foot tapping the floor. Waluigi blew a raspberry and, with his finger and thumb, flashed an L over his forehead, then retreated.

Luigi climbed up Daisy's hand and fixed his clothes. He was sure he'd be bruised down there. His overall straps had been stretched to the limit and now hung limply at his shoulders. Daisy broke into a fit of hysterical laughter, slapping her knees. Luigi sighed, a pained look on his face.  
"I'm sorry, it just looked so funny!" she giggled when she noticed his expression. She regained her composure, then asked if he was okay. He shook his head yes, albeit his crotch begged to differ. Then Daisy gasped.

"Omigosh, is that blood on your face?" It was Luigi's turn to gasp. He touched his face with two fingers. A droplet of red stained his white glove. "Huh. My nose might be broken." Daisy groaned.

"That Waluigi. I'll kick his ass." All that came out of Luigi was a small "Ehehe…".

_Yeah, that totally came from Waluigi. That wasn't from my own clumsiness or anything._

Daisy pressed the tip of his nose. Luigi squealed in pain and recoiled. Daisy's lips formed a line that curved only a little. She held out her hand, saying, "Come on, let's get some ice and head back to our seats." Luigi nodded and staggered behind her, his underwear still stuck in his butt.

* * *

One minute on the clock. The score was 5-4. Mario huffed and puffed on the bench, grasping a bottle of water. He screwed off the cap and dumped its contents on his already-wet face.

"If we don't win this, we'll never make it to the finals," moaned a Toad from his team as he plopped on the edge of the bench. Mario felt his pulse quicken. An out-of-breath Koopa Troopa nodded, trudging towards the bench and plopping down as well.

"Yeah. Wario might just have us this ti-"

Mario slammed his bottle on the bench, his brow twitching.

_He did not just say that._

His teammates stared slack-jawed at his unreadable expression.

"We WILL win this, team," Mario rasped. The team gathered around their captain.

"I believe in each and every one of you." He pointed his finger at them one by one. They exchanged glances, then all grinned. Mario saw the fire in their eyes and a determined smile stretched across his face. He thrust a hand outward. The team piled on their hands.  
"Alright, on three," said Mario. They nodded.

"_Uno… due… tre_!" They all lifted their hands, shouting in unison, "GO TEAM MARIO!"

The buzzer went off and Mario and the team raced back into the field. Along the way, Mario motioned to a Toad, saying, "Get the ball, take center field, and wait for me to signal you." The Toad gave a single nod. Mario ran to the middle, staring a grinning Wario in the face yet again.

_When we win, I'm going to knock that smug expression off your face and into next week_, Mario thought, cackling on the inside.

* * *

Luigi took slow breaths through his congested nose, holding a small bag of ice to it. He tried to focus on the game, but sleep grabbed ahold of him again. Red, yellow, and green blurs clouded his vision, and the tears weren't helping.

"Hey," Daisy said, touching his arm to get his attention. "I think you should go home, Luigi."

"N-no!" he blurted. His cheeks burned red upon his noticing her surprised expression. "I mean, I want to give my brother my unyielding support." Daisy's sweet smile was replaced by a look of concern.

"Luigi, you can't do this to yourself." She spoke quietly yet he was able to hear her over the roars of the crowd.

Luigi shot back, "It's just a broken nose, Daisy." Daisy scooted closer to rest a hand on his leg.

"Sweetie," she cooed. She had his attention now. Luigi sighed, his eyes meeting with hers.

_Why did she have to pull a 'sweetie' on me?_

Daisy continued, "You're exhausted." Luigi stared at the ground, not wanting to look.

_Why is Daisy always right?_

"H-how did you know?" he said in a whimper. He already knew the impending answer. Daisy fist-pumped and made a silent, "Yes!"

"I can read your expressions very easily." Luigi groaned.

_Why is Daisy so observant?_

He rubbed the dark circles under his eyes, maybe hoping they would wipe away like they were just splotches of purple paint. She was right- he was exhausted. His head felt empty and his muscles ached- they screamed for rest. He looked longingly at the game unfolding. A Toad wearing a red uniform zoomed down center field, the ball rolling at his feet.

_I guess Mario doesn't NEED me to be here. It's not like I do anything but congratulate him, and it's not like he cares._

"Okie-dokie." Luigi gave up. "I'll go home. I'm sure Mario's got this, anyway." While Daisy victory-danced, he stood on his gangly legs. The world tilted sideways. Luigi held his breath and remained still for a second to ensure stability.

"Leaving so soon?" asked Peach, a puzzled look on her face. Luigi nodded while Daisy spoke for him. "He isn't feeling too well." Peach gave a solemn nod; to Luigi a mother's look of concern.

"I hope you feel better, Luigi." A weak smile appeared on his face.

"Thank you, Princess-"

Suddenly, the stadium disappeared and Luigi saw nothing but leaves. He was standing in the tree again, but this time, he was more aware. Luigi leaned over the edge and gulped, the empty space below him twisting his stomach in a knot. He grasped the trunk of the tree. Shivering, he squeezed his eyes shut and whispered, "Not real. Not real." He opened his eyes, expecting to be back at the Striker Stadium. But he wasn't.

Now he stood in the center of a long hallway, lit by nothing other than one flickering light bulb that hung above his head. Because of the wet air and his own sweat, Luigi's clothes stuck to his skin. He glanced around the place; continued to chant, "Not real. Not real." His eyes landed on something that made his blood run cold.

_No… not again._

Mario laid at his feet, taking slow, shallow breaths that contrasted Luigi's rapid breathing. Luigi fell at his brother's side. Just like last time, blood coated Mario's hands and face.

_Thisisn'trealthisisn'trealthisisn'treal..._

Luigi tried to pick him up, but his fingers slid through him. Luigi was happy to have proof that it wasn't real. Until Mario's chest ceased to rise and fall. Tugging at his own hair, Luigi stopped breathing as well.

"No…" he sobbed, tears streaming down his face. Then, trembling violently, he screamed at the top of his lungs; until his feeble body couldn't take it anymore.

* * *

Mario's eyes darted around the area. His cleats kicked up grass and dirt particles as he ran. The crowd roared for Wario, whose teammates were ganging up on Mario's. A huge green cloud sent everyone running in all directions; stopping to retch and vomit. "Smells like cow piss…" he heard someone exclaim through a fit of coughs. Mario watched his Toad endure the stench and trail Wario, who was taking the ball to the goal and getting ready to perform a Mega Strike. The Toad flashed a thumbs-up. Mario gave a sharp, quick nod, then headed to front-left-center field. The Toad swung back his big head and slammed it into Wario's side. Wario crumpled to the ground, growling in frustration. Laughing, the Toad stole the ball and ran it to center field. Mario gave another nod.  
"Let's a-go," he said under his breath, turning to where his back was facing the goal.

The Toad kicked the ball hard just as an enraged Mole popped out from underground and smacked him into the electric fence. Everyone winced, trying to ignore his pained shrieks.

Mario took deep breaths. His ribs twinged every time he inhaled, but he ignored the pain. _You got this, Mario_, he kept telling himself. He crouched down and tracked the ball down with his eyes. The metal sphere soared over everyone's heads. Mario closed his eyes and was about to extend his legs and perform a bicycle kick when he heard an ear-piercing scream. And Mario did something he never thought he'd do.

He froze in place.

_Luigi? Why is he screaming?_

His eyes popped open and scanned the crowd for his baby brother, not noticing Wario running towards him. Just as he returned his attention to the game, Wario struck him with his belly and sent him flying into the electric fence. Mario let out a series of small yelps as he felt thousands of tiny fuzzy needles poking his skin. His body jerked and twitched violently. The crackling in his ears was deafening; every sound was muffled. He didn't know when he ended up staring at the clouds. After a millennium, the world came back to Mario. He scrambled to his feet and stood just in time to see his rival score the last-second goal.

The sound of the final buzzer was accompanied by loud cheering and whooping. Mario found himself growling. He stomped over to the bench but didn't sit. He didn't realize what expression his face was making until he saw his teammates cower in fear.

"Are you okay, Mario?" one of them spoke up, but Mario's heart drowned out the voice. His eyes stuck to Wario who was on the other side of the stadium dancing and laughing. Wario's eyes met his. The infamous smug grin appeared on his face again. Mario's fists balled up. He looked away before he did something he would regret.

"Mario, I'm so sorry." Mario perked up, some of his anger washing away. He turned to face the one and only Princess Peach.  
"It's okay," he started, "It was just-" Then his eyes fell on green. Mario felt intense heat radiating from his skin. His brain replayed the incident and he scowled.

_It was… it was Luigi. He distracted me._

Mario hurled his own thoughts at his brother like they were sharp knives.

_You sabotaged me!_

_I could have beat that fatass if it weren't for you!_

Mario didn't realize he was speaking his mind literally until he noticed his brother's expression.

Luigi's mouth hung open. His lip trembled and his eyes were wide; he looked like he was on the verge of tears.

Peach gasped. Daisy emerged from behind Luigi and got right in Mario's face, breathing in his air. The anger was contagious.

"Hey! It wasn't on purpose!" she yelled, her teeth gritted. Mario glared past her, ignoring her, and his eyes pierced Luigi's. Luigi gathered up the guts to whimper, "Y-yeah. _Non volevo_, Mario, I don't know what came over-" Mario growled, silencing his brother. It was Peach's turn to speak up.

"Mario, please. Luigi isn't feeling well."

"If he wasn't feeling well," Mario snapped, not taking his eyes off Luigi, "then he should have GONE HOME!" Luigi's entire body trembled now. Mario watched with pursed lips as Luigi dropped to his knees, sobbing. Daisy spoke up again, this time her voice cool.

"We were just on our way out, Mario." The enraged man unballed his fists- he didn't realize he had them balled. _What happened?_ Mario pondered on this. His eyes fell on Luigi again, who was rubbing salty tears and shiny snot off his face with his sleeve. Mario's lip twisted.

_Ugh. And here I was thinking he grew out of it._

Mario turned away from Luigi, not wanting to get another look. Running his hands under his hat and through his sweat-slick hair, he started towards home, leaving behind his brother, the princesses, and an unresolved argument.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Luigi messed up and now Mario's pissed. Will the twins make up?_


	4. Dinner Run

Chapter Four: Dinner Run

A tired Luigi trudged his way home, an ice water packet swinging in his hand as he walked. He stared at the dirt road.

_Why'd I have to mess up my bro's one shot to make it to the finals?_

He had taken the long, scenic route to avoid bumping into Mario, though part of him wished he hadn't. Maybe they could have talked. He kicked a pebble and paused to watch it bounce into the grass. As he walked, he thought about the-what even were they? Visions? Where they came from, he didn't know. The more he thought about them- the tree, his brother injured- the sicker he felt inside.

_That's not going to happen in real life… is it?_

He passed some shops, then stopped at a small grocery store. Crimson letters flickered above it, spelling out "SHROOMMART". Luigi stared at the letters, thinking back to the dripping blood on Mario's face. _Stop thinking about that._ He shuddered upon entering the store, due to his thoughts and the fact that it was so cold inside. It was early spring and yet it felt like a harsh winter. It was quiet today, save for the annoying squeaks of shopping carts rolling on the linoleum floor. The bright fluorescent light bulbs burned his retinas, causing his head to spin. He blinked away the afterimage of the light, letting his eyes adjust, then tossed his ice water packet into a nearby trash bin.

Luigi took a moment to skim his mental grocery list before wandering through the aisles. _Hmm. We already have most of that at the house._ He scanned the wine section, although he already knew he had that at home, too. But that was for special occasions only- there was no need to break out the good stuff over a little get-together.

_But Princess Peach will be there_, Luigi protested to himself. _She only visits us when there's an emergency she wants Mario to fix- oh, and that one time where Mario and her actually banged._ He didn't know if that was the case, but his face wrinkled anyway.

Luigi picked up some Chardonnay- 45 coins worth. _That'll suffice._ He held the bottle in his hands for minutes before realizing that he forgot to get a shopping cart. Groaning to himself, he grabbed a buggy from the entrance- they were literally right there- and placed the white wine bottle in it.

_And Daisy will be there, too. Ooh, maybe we can have some alone time!_

He had pushed the cart for about five feet when it began to make a horrible screeching noise at the wheel, nearly equivalent to the sound of nails scratching against a chalkboard. Luigi scrunched up his face. _Really? Every time I come here. Every time._ He ignored the noise, but some passerby did not. _Just keep shopping, folks. Nothing to see here._ A little Toad with three pigtails let go of her mother's hand to stare.

"Are you Mario?" she asked. Luigi sighed. _No, child. We are fraternal twins, not identical!_

_"_Uh… well, actually I am his-" The child's face lit up before he could finish. "Wow!" She tugged her mother's arm. "Mommy, look, it's Mario!" Luigi waved his hands and tried to explain that he was not Mario, but what came out of his mouth was unintelligible noises. The girl's mother inspected him, then turned to her child, saying with a sigh, "No, it's not Mario. It's just an impersonator who's doing a crummy job."

Ouch. Luigi knew she wasn't trying to insult him, but her words still dripped with poison. He rubbed the side of his face as if she'd punched him there.

_Merda, that's a new one._

The lady and her child left the aisle and soon after, so did Luigi. He went to the veggie section and threw a tied bunch of parsley in the buggy.

"Heyyy, LOSER!" Wincing, Luigi turned to face his rival once more.

"Planning on getting drunk, weenie? Does life suck that bad?" Waluigi said with a smile, swiping the wine bottle and dropping it, threatening to shatter it against the metal cart. Luigi took a breath, gripping the buggy handles so hard his knuckles were turning white.

"Get a life, Waluigi," he muttered too loudly. Waluigi's thin eyebrows raised. "I'd watch what I say if I were you. 'Cuz your girlfriend's not around to protect you." He dug a bony finger into the center of Luigi's chest.

"If I wasn't so tired," Luigi wheezed, "I would take you down right now."

_NO!_ His brain screamed at him._ Don't be stupid, he's more muscular than you! He nearly killed you earlier with a damn WEDGIE!_

Waluigi's smile vanished, but his eyes glinted with excitement. "You wanna fight me?"

_NO! He WILL kill you!_

But Luigi's fist was already making contact with a purple nose before getting permission from the brain. Waluigi stumbled back, groaning and rubbing his face. His face gave a sinister look. Luigi stared at his balled up fist with saucer-wide eyes.

_Why do I never have any control over my own body?_

Waluigi pushed Luigi's chest hard, sending him crashing into the shelf of spices behind him. Luigi gasped in pain, his back being stabbed by protruding metal shelves. Small containers of various spices and seasonings hit the floor and rolled underneath another aisle. Then Luigi fell. He caught himself on his hands before his face smacked the ground, but the impact still knocked all the breath out of his lungs. He curled to his side into a fetus position, struggling to retain air. Waluigi crouched over him, his face expressionless.

"I would finish you off, but I'm not really feeling it today. But! I will come get you. It won't be today. Or tomorrow. I'll catch you by surprise," he growled, so close that Luigi could feel his hot rotten breath slapping his face; smelling like raw fish that had sat in a puddle of moldy water. Waluigi stepped over his body and took two steps before adding, "Oh, and one more thing-" Luigi blanched. _Please no more wedgies._ "Can you tell me where the oyster cans are?" Luigi raised a trembling finger and pointed to the canned meat aisle.

"Hmm. Okay. See you later, loser."

Luigi waited for the sound of Waluigi's steps to falter and then disappear. Shaking, he managed to force his aching body into a sitting position, despite a strong force pulling his mind to sleep mode. He let his immense pain subside before he got to his feet.

"One day… I'll get that Waluigi…" he said through harsh breaths. "Somehow..."

* * *

Mario walked home, twirling one side of his mustache on his finger.

_Why did my little bro mess up my one shot to make it to the finals?_

His legs turned on auto-pilot as he continued to think. _They said it was an accident. And maybe it was just that. An accident. Which means there was no reason to explode at everyone._ Another part of him argued, _But Luigi should not have gone if he wasn't feeling well. And because of HIM, I might not get another chance._

Then a flash of white light coated his vision, blinding him. He blinked the world back and saw a female Koopa Troopa standing before him with a camera dangling at her neck. "Heya, whiskers!" she said cheerfully. She held a notepad and pen to her face. She adjusted her green striped cap before announcing proudly, "Kylie Koopa, ace reporter, here- heh, but you already knew that!"

Mario found himself sighing.

_Ah. Good ole' Kylie. I forgot about you. I also really don't feel like talking to you._

"Is there anything you'd like to say for the Striker Times News?"  
"No," Mario said without haste. Kylie's face fell, along with her notepad. "O-oh…" Mario sighed again. _Fine._ He elaborates, "I could have won, but I didn't." Kylie still stared at him like he had a hole in his forehead but she wrote it down anyway and then left somewhat satisfied. Mario shook his head and continued home.

* * *

Luigi hugged a huge burlap bag full of various ingredients to his chest. He let go with one hand to open the door, hoping it was unlocked. The door swung open, letting the evening sun stretch across the dim-lit house. He shuffled to the kitchen, his chin resting on a packet of fresh snow peas that was threatening to pop out of the grocery bag. Red appeared in the corner of his eye and he turned to find Mario sitting at the table.  
"Oh… hey," Luigi said, surprised that Mario hadn't heard him come in. Mario didn't look up. Luigi slid the heavy bag onto the kitchen counter island, mumbling under his breath, "He's ignoring me. I hope that doesn't last long."

_Whatever I did, Mario, I didn't mean it._

He opened his mouth to say this, but his brain interrupted him. _Hey, the girls will be here soon. Get to cooking!_ "Okie-dokie," he said aloud, which got him a confused frown aimed in his direction from Mario.

* * *

Daisy knocked on the door to Mario's house. The smell coming from the window that drifted through the air was reminiscent of her mother's kitchen before dinnertime. _Mmm. Wonder what's cooking._ Grinning to herself, she gave a confident knock on the door and heard a scream.

"Just a minute," someone said from inside- she couldn't really tell if it was Mario or Luigi. The door opened, revealing Luigi behind it. He smiled warmly as he adjusted sticky plastic gloves on his hands. "Hi, Daisy." He took an awkward step back to let her inside.

"Hey, Weeg," she said, then slid past him, stepping cautiously like she was walking into a quarantine zone. Her eyes scanned the place, taking in every color and decoration.

_What a cute little house._

Daisy took a seat while Luigi went back to the kitchen. Daisy eyed the disgruntled Mario sitting at the table. She opened her mouth to say hi but the sound of the door creaking open stopped her. Princess Peach stood in the doorway, her lips forming a gentle smile.

"The door was open and I'm terribly sorry that I let myself enter," she said.

"It's okay," Luigi replied.

Peach glided to the dining area and sat promptly, glancing at Mario every few seconds. Daisy inhaled the cooking aroma, her brain trying its best to figure out what was cooking. She decided to ask.

"Chicken cacciatore," replied Luigi as he sliced an onion into tiny morsels with ease. Daisy tried to imagine what the hell that was.

"Well, it smells good," she said after a pause. Luigi grunted in response. Daisy sat there, her eyes darting back and forth between Luigi in the kitchen, Peach sitting with her hands folded in her lap and a solemn expression, and Mario finger-tapping the table with an unreadable face. She let five minutes pass. It was silent, save for the clinks, thunks, and sploshes of Luigi preparing dinner. Daisy began tapping the table, creating a small rhythm.

_What is happening right now- they're not even looking at each other!_

She rose from the table. I have to do something. Peach shot a look that said don't intervene which Daisy swiftly ignored. She pulled Luigi's arm away from a plate of raw chicken thighs and yanked Mario off his butt.

"All right, so you guys aren't talking to each other, so here's what we are gonna do." Peach shook her head and gave a silent _please no_. The brothers' faces were matched- they were both confused. Daisy continued, "Mario, you're upset because you thought Luigi was deliberately trying to distract you from the game. And Luigi, you're upset because you got yelled at. So, Mario, maybe you can express how you feel about that, and Luigi can explain what happened. And then you guys can apologize, hug, reconciliation stuff, whatever whatever, best bros again! Yay!" She clapped her hands together. "Alright, GO!" When the bros simply stared in silence, Peach stood.

"Um, Daisy, don't you think they should work things out themselves-" Then Mario spoke, startling everyone.

"No, no, it's okay, Peach. Luigi can explain to me why I lost to _Wario_." He spoke low, trying not to raise his voice.

"Mario, I would never mess you up on purpose," said Luigi. The princesses glanced at each other, both thinking, Is this actually working?!

Until Luigi muttered a little too loudly, "You probably would have lost anyway, it was tied up and-" Mario was red as a beet all of a sudden.  
"What?! You think I would have lost anyway?!" he shouted, his fists balled. Waving off the explosion, Luigi faltered, "Nonononono, I said 'probably', only because it was tied and anything could have happened then-" Mario exploded again, taking a step closer, "I thought you wanted me to win today!"

"I did!"

"Then why did you mess me up?"

"It was an accident!"

Mario growled. His body shook; he was trying hard not to do something he might regret later. He took a deep breath, then spoke calmly.

"Let's just have dinner, we can talk about how you screwed up everything later-" Then Luigi did something that made everyone in the room startle.

"Dinner _would be_ ready if you weren't sitting here yelling in my face about how _I_ screwed up your stupid game!" His tone was sharp; his voice was unrecognizable. Peach and Daisy had their hands covering their open mouths.

"Papa was right about you, always such a baby!" Mario shot back, now right in Luigi's face. Luigi was taken aback at the mention of their father. Then his mouth began spewing things he'd never thought he'd say out loud, let alone to Mario's face.

"You're being such a JERK! You don't even care sometimes, do you? I do so much for you, I clean after you, I cook for you, I support everything you do, I bite back my tongue, and do I get a thank you? NO!" He slapped the counter, his eyes fizzling with rage as they shot piercing looks Mario's way. Mario startled, eyes wide and brows raised. Everyone was surprised. Here was the nicest, quietest, little good boy in the Mushroom Kingdom, blowing up in his brother's face.

"You've always been a fat _maiale_!" Luigi spat, though out of breath. That did it. Mario swung his fist, popping Luigi right in the cheekbone. Luigi stumbled back, rubbing his face and grunting. He caught his balance on the stove. The girls gasped sharply. Peach snagged Mario's bicep.

"Mario, sit down!" she ordered. Mario plopped down with a huff. Then a loud screech caused everyone to jolt. They all turned to the kitchen where Luigi hissed in pain, clutching his hand. He'd slammed his hand on an active burner. Without saying a word, he darted up the stairs.

* * *

Luigi quivered violently inside the storage closet, fumbling through containers of junk. _Not a baby. Not a baby. Mario is wrong. Papa was wrong._ It took every nerve ending in his body for him to not cry. He grabbed the first-aid kit from on top of a box of old CDs and popped the lid off. With shaking fingers, he slid the glove off his injured hand. He inspected the damage- puffy red shapes stood out among scarred linear cuts on his palm and fingers. Inside the first-aid kit was adhesive bandages of various sizes, gauze wrap, and two small healing mushrooms. He didn't plan on using the mushroom- it was only for dire circumstances. Instead, he took out the gauze wrap and tightly wound it around his hand. His mind replayed the dispute over and over. Luigi closed his eyes, trying to force away tears. But he heard Mario's voice, again and again, saying the same thing: _Papa was right, always such a baby._

And then Luigi broke. Tears spilled from his cheeks and tapped against the wooden floor. He let out a wail while smacking the wall with his good hand.

"What is wrong with me?" he sobbed.

After about five minutes of crying his heart out, Luigi exited the storage closet, back to wearing the white gloves- although the bandage on his hand left a visible bulge. He went down the stairs on the tips of his toes. He glanced at the dining area. Mario, Peach, and Daisy were all talking. _They're talking about me, aren't they?_ He ignored them and crept through the kitchen. Once he made it to the front door, he carefully pushed it open just wide enough for him to squeeze through and did so, closing the door without a sound.

Then he took off running, as far as his legs could carry him. _They won't notice I'm gone for a while._

Where he was going, he didn't know.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Luigi better watch his back if he's going to be all alone- Waluigi might come back..._


	5. Guard Dog

Chapter Five: Guard Dog

Luigi darted down Mushroom Way, his tears flying behind him. His blood was pumping in his ears. _Where am I going?_ His thoughts swirled around his head, making him dizzy and a little sick. Or maybe the dizziness was from his lack of rest. _Did I just run away from home like some upset teen?_ He stopped. No, actually, he thought he stopped, but his legs wouldn't stop moving. _What are you even running from?_ Every breath was making his trachea burst aflame. _Stop!_ He finally stopped, but only because he'd drained every last bit of strength from his body. He gasped and sucked in the cool evening air like a fish out of water.

"What is happening?" he cried out to the sky, dropping to his knees. His head flopped to his chest as he murmured to himself, "He just doesn't understand me. That's it."

Luigi would have remained on the ground if it weren't for a random vibration in one of his pockets. A catchy jingle played out of nowhere. "Huh?" Luigi stood and patted his pockets for the source and eventually dug a DS out. He hadn't touched the thing in so long, he'd forgotten it was there. He flipped it open, the screen lighting up and showing an old man with no hair save for a little tuft at the top of his head. The man waved after taking a moment to inspect his rounded glasses. Luigi cringed inside.

_Ah… Professor E. Gadd. I can't really deal with your problems right now, I have my own problems to deal with._

"Luigi, my boy! How are you?" E. Gadd said cheerfully, his voice raspy yet smooth. Before Luigi had a chance to answer, the professor spoke again.

"You don't have to answer that. Anyway, I was just eating a sandwi- er, doing some important research involving the Poison Mushroom Outbreak when my camera caught footage of a mansion appearing just two miles away from the Mushroom Kingdom!" Luigi gasped.

_A new mansion? Is this King Boo's doing? _He paled._ He didn't get Mario, did he? I shouldn't have left._

"Now, I don't think it has to do with King Boo. My paranormal activity radar is picking up something, but not anything as big as King Boo. I've been watching it for a few hours- I think someone lives there. But I can't be certain until I get a closer look. Which means-"

_Oh no. He's going to send me there, isn't he?_

"-you, my boy, are going to go investigate!"

_Shit._

Luigi didn't know what kind of face he was making, but it was obviously an ugly one because of the next thing E. Gadd said.

"I know you don't really feel like it right now. You're upset at Mario- I get it. I've been there. My brother, Erwin, we used to fight a lot and- er, nevermind, I'll just tell you later, anyway, please, Luigi. Maybe you could check it out later?"

_How does he know about that?_

"Okie-dokie," said Luigi's mouth. _NO! Why? Again? You're bruised and exhausted, if you got attacked, you would probably die!_

The old man yipped and clapped with glee. "That's my brave young man! Alright, I'm pixelating you here." Luigi shrank.

_Wait, no, don't do that-_

But his fingers were already dissipating before his eyes. Every inch of his body tingled and itched- it felt like rolling in grass- then it numbed. He saw nothing but blackness before the professor's laboratory fizzed into view. First examining his body to make sure everything reassembled correctly, Luigi looked up to see the crazy old man in the flesh. E. Gadd smiled, revealing teeth reminiscent of a hamster's.

"Glad you made it in one piece!" he said, clapping rapidly. He snatched Luigi's injured hand and gave a double-handed shake. Luigi hissed and recoiled, yanking his hand away. Egad gasped dramatically.

"I'm so sorry, I forgot!" he cried. He gently took Luigi's hand and ripped the glove off, closely examining the burn.

"It's okay- wait, you forgot?" Egad nodded. He gave Luigi his hand and his glove back then teetered over to his camera monitor. He slapped the keyboard, the screen flickering over to a live feed of various rooms of the Mario Bros' house. Luigi squinted at the tiny images, trying to find Mario or the girls. They were nowhere to be seen. _Huh. They left. But why?_

_"_Apparently you forgot that I keep tabs on you and your brother all the time!" the professor stated excitedly. Luigi opened his mouth to protest _That's an invasion of privacy, you know!_ but came to realize: _But if something were to happen to Mario or me, he'd know and would be able to do something about it._ Then he opened his mouth to say _Thanks for spying on me?_ but hesitated. E. Gadd giggled.

"Whadderya doin with your mouth there, sonny?" He spanked his knees, doubling over laughing at a joke only he thought funny, then composed himself. He shifted the camera feed to the aforementioned _new_ mansion. It wasn't very big to be called a mansion, but it was fancy enough to be.

_Hmm. Doesn't look too scary. It actually looks kinda nice._

The two watched the screen for any movement, then after seeing nothing, E. Gadd pulled a half-eaten sandwich out of his pocket, and took a bite.

"Sho, if you are willing, go to thish manshun and sheck it out. Pleash?" E. Gadd said, sandwich bits flying out of his mouth. Luigi replied with a nod before letting his mind wander.

_Who could be inside this mansion? Oh, I hope I don't have to go ghost-hunting. It's been a while, my Poltergust is at home, and I really should have eaten that healing mushroom-_

"CRIMINY!" The old man's outburst caused Luigi to jump back onto Earth. E. Gadd pointed to the screen, where it was the same except for one thing. A small red-and-blue blur was moving toward the entrance. Luigi blanched.

_No! Now I have to go there!_

"Do you see that, sonny?" E. Gadd said, checking for dust in his glasses. Luigi nodded. His stomach was curling in on itself.

_Oh, Mario. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you, even if I'm still mad at you._

* * *

"Mario, you need to apologize to Luigi!" The pretty pink princess's voice sounded low and agitated, an unnatural tone that not everyone heard every day. Mario's arms were crossed and his bottom lip stuck out like a defiant toddler.

"He called me a pig to my face! Behind my back? Don't care. But to my face? NO!" His breathing intensified as he spoke. Veins bulged out from his neck. Daisy stood in the background, her face blank. _I shouldn't have intervened._ "Mario, you hurt his feelings," Peach said, softening her voice. She laid a hand on Mario's shoulder but he shook it off and spat, "And what about you? You ditched me! On the damn moon! You think that didn't hurt my feelings?" Peach stared at him goggle-eyed. He continued, "I had to travel all over the world to save you! And-" He choked on his next words, his eyes becoming wet with tears. "And the next day, you acted like it didn't even happen!" Peach swallowed hard.

"Mario, I didn't know you felt that way. You seemed okay with it, so I assumed-"

It was Daisy's turn to speak. "Excuse me, guys, but I thought this was about Luigi-" The unhappy couple whirled to face her and snapped simultaneously, "NOT NOW, DAISY!" Daisy stepped back, her eyes widening then narrowing. _Fine. _Mario and Peach turned back to each other, but the altercation had tired them, so they said nothing. Peach's eyes remained on the floor now.

Then Mario broke the silence, his voice gentle. "I just wish Luigi would have told me, you know? He didn't tell me he was feeling ill this morning. He never tells me how he feels." He sighed. "I just don't understand him." Peach touched his arm again and this time, Mario allowed it.

"Tell him that, Mario," she said. Mario gave a solemn nod and went upstairs. His tears were gone. Peach sat back down, her eyes at her lap.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Daisy," she said. Daisy moved from her corner.

"It's okay. Fights happen. The important thing is that everything should be resolved now-" Mario raced down the stairs. "Luigi's gone!" he exclaimed before his foot smacked the last step. The girls gasped. Daisy's arms flung out. "Wait, you mean, he left? Without us noticing?" she shouted, but mostly to herself. _How could I have not noticed him leave, I was the closest to the door!_

"We shouldn't worry, he's a grown adult, he can take care of himself-" Peach stopped trying to be positive when she noticed Mario and Daisy staring her down.

"You're right, we should go find him."

* * *

Mario ran around the entire Mushroom Kingdom, stopping only when he saw green. No sign of his green. After what seemed like an eon to him, he quit running and fell in a patch of grass.

"I give up," he panted. Nightfall was turning everything blue and black. He had no chance of finding him now. He stood up, sighing in defeat. That's when he saw it; the mansion stood out like a white shirt in a pile of green ones. _Luigi wouldn't have gone in there. Right?_ But he was already standing at the door.

"I don't even know whose mansion this is!" he protested to himself, waving out his arms. He forced his body to turn away. _Why can't I move?_ An invisible force pulled him closer. _What's happening?_ Then the door opened and he was face-to-face with his love.

"Princess!" he exclaimed, jumping back to not be in her personal space. She didn't seem to mind. Peach smiled, but something about it was off; normally her smile would send Mario's heart somersaulting in his chest, but this one just made him shiver; it was too formal.

"What are you- Is my brother in there?" Mario asked her, glancing over her shoulder. Her lips unmoving, she made a static hand gesture to come inside. Mario's brows furrowed. "Um… okay." He stepped past her and took in the scenery. Everything seemed to glow white or blue and it almost hurt to look at.

"Do you know who lives here-" Mario stopped, realizing that Peach had left and shut the door behind her. _Wait, what?_ Mario's arm shot out to yank the door back open but the door handles had disappeared also. Or were there not any door handles to begin with? Mario stomped the marble floor.

"Now I'm stuck in here!" He turned away from the door and sighed. _I hope whoever lives here is friendly._ Mario walked through the main corridor, occasionally stopping to look at the statues of Beanish people. _Their eyes aren't following me._ He came to a door and whirled backward. The eyes of the statues stared right at him for a split second before they flicked back to their original positions. Mario swallowed. _Or they are._

"Okie-dokie, not creepy at all," he said, then opened the door wide enough for only him to go in and slipped inside. He was in a dark room, the blackness swallowing him whole as the door swung shut. _That's okay, just find your way to a light switch. _He took a step forward, only for his body to lurch and fall. _Stairs?! Why?!_ His head, elbows, and knees slapped every stair painfully as he rolled.

Mario couldn't tell when he'd stopped tumbling until he realized it wasn't so dark anymore and his limbs had gone numb. He blinked his vision back into focus and stared at a stone ceiling barely lit by a cool white light coming from nowhere. _Alright, you can do this._ He rocked his body so that he was laying on his stomach. Then he planted his hands on the cold floor and lifted himself up. He screeched and dropped as he felt a stabbing pain in his left wrist, his face smacking the floor. He let out a word that he would never dream of saying in front of his brother.

After taking a few breaths, Mario lifted himself again, this time not putting all his weight on his twisted wrist. He ignored his legs throbbing and forced them to stand.

"Ugh," he moaned, hugging his belly that felt like millions of swords were slashing through it at once. He inhaled and exhaled, but this time, instead of carbon dioxide, bloody lunch chunks spewed out of his mouth. _What did I do to myself?_ He uncurled his spine and rubbed his head, his fingers touching wet hair. _My hat is gone!_ His white glove came back red.

_Show up right now, Luigi. Please. I wouldn't even be mad at you anymore._

A small creak echoed through the room. Mario silently told his thumping heart to shut up before yelling, "Who's there? Are you a friend?" He would have assumed a fighting stance if it weren't for his aching body. He whirled to face the third most terrifying thing he'd ever seen. It was a dog twice the size of him, its fur black and translucent. Its mouth formed an ugly grin, displaying four rows of long pointy teeth.

"Good boy?" Mario said, his voice a whisper. Then the ghost dog lunged at him and he was on the ground again, the world fading away.

* * *

Luigi stood outside the mansion, his Poltergust aimed and ready.

"Let's-a go," he mumbled. He walked up to the door. It was already open. He couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

_I hope you didn't come in here, bro. Maybe it was just some other guy in red and blue. _He forced a laugh._ Not likely._

Luigi stepped lightly in the room, the strange chill in the room making him shiver.

"Mario?" he called. He thought back to when Mario had been kidnapped by King Boo. _That didn't happen._ Luigi looked at the statues and they met eyes for a moment before Luigi tore his eyes away and shuddered. _Eck. All haunted mansions have statues that look at you._ Luigi was fifteen feet away from the only door in the room when it moved; it slid along the wall until it was at Luigi's right. A doorway appeared in the other door's original place.

"That's new," whispered Luigi. He walked up to the new doorway, peering inside, and was struck with an optical horror. _It's the hallway, the one in my dreams!_ His breath caught in his throat. _How is that possible?!_ He backed away from the doorway as if it would eat him. He took a deep breath, hugging the Poltergust nozzle. _Calm down, Luigi. It's probably just a coincidence._

A massive blur raced down the hall, dragging a smaller blur of red and blue. Luigi screamed and leaped two feet in the air. He clutched his heart, breathing heavily. He peered around the corner and what he saw there made him want to die right then and there.

"MARIO!"

Just like in the visions, Mario laid on the floor, his face and hands bloody. Luigi fell to his knees, his heart fell to his stomach, and his Poltergust slid off his back and fell to the floor.

"No…" he wailed and bit his lip as a tear ran down his cheek. "This isn't real!" He reached for his brother, not expecting to actually be able to grab him, and jumped when he felt the warmth of Mario's hand. Luigi lifted Mario off the floor and held him tight. Tears of joy rolled off his face when he felt Mario's chest heaving weakly. He opened his mouth to cry out in excitement but something wet and cold slipped down his back, shutting him up.

_I think I found what got him._

Luigi dared to face the large black dog-like ghost. The beast's mouth was dripping with ectoplasm as it growled. The two of them locked eyes. Luigi swallowed and examined the thing since it was right in front of him.

"You're just a Polterpup," he observed, forcing himself to remain calm. "A really big, dark, scary, has-sharp-teeth Polterpup." He took a breath and outstretched a hand to the Polterpup, praying silently that it would not bite it off. It growled.

"Hey, it's okay. I bet you're a good doggy," Luigi said softly, watching as the dog sniffed his hand. The Polterpup stared at him like it was calculating or perhaps planning a way to serve its dinner.

_I wouldn't be able to run- I'd have to carry Mario and he'd slow me way down._

Then the dog opened its mouth.

_Oh no, what is it doing-_

Out came a long, floppy tongue that gave a juicy lick to Luigi's face. Luigi let go a breath he hadn't realized he was holding to groan in disgust. He wiped the ectoplasm-slobber off his face with his sleeve. The Polterpup's smile was much friendlier. Luigi reached out again and this time he made contact with the ghostly canine's fur- it felt like it was there but also wasn't, like a fluffy cloud. The Polterpup's scraggly tail wagged in excitement. Luigi smiled. _I knew you were a good doggy. You didn't hurt-_ Then he remembered why he was there. _The dog should let me leave now, right?_ He slung Mario's limp body over his shoulder. His knees buckled under the sudden weight on his back as he hobbled to the exit. He heard a whine, feeling the Polterpup's eyes drilling holes in the back of his head. _I'm sorry, doggy, but I have to go._ Luigi was three feet from the door when the dog leaped in front of him and barked happily. He startled, nearly dropping Mario.

_Okay, maybe not. But at least he's friendly now._

"I can't play with you, doggy. Sorry," said Luigi, stepping around the excited ghost dog. He reached out to open the door but it swung open on its own initiative, taking Luigi and Mario into the wall.

_Sorry, Mario. It's probably fine, I don't weigh much. But that door on the other hand..._

Now wedged between Mario and the door, Luigi heard a shout from Daisy, "Who lives here?" followed by Peach saying, "Daisy, this is breaking and entering!" Luigi didn't know whether to scream or smile. _Are they looking for me?_

"The door was open-"

"You can't just walk inside someone's elegant mansion and ask for your boyfriend!"

_So they are looking for me. Or Daisy's cheating on me._

"Yeah, but-"

"I'm right here," Luigi said, his voice muffled by the door being pressed against his face. The ladies gasped in unison. The door swung shut and Luigi and Mario crumpled to the floor. Luigi looked up to see one angry princess and one concerned princess. The Polterpup had disappeared.

"Were you just hiding behind that door?" Daisy said, her voice cold. She yanked Luigi to his feet, nearly ripping his arms out of their sockets.

"N-no, I wasn't-"

The girls went around Luigi to examine his brother.

_And they literally don't care about me. Nice._

"What happened to Mario?" asked Peach, her hands over her mouth. Her eyes went wide with terror. She'd never seen him so vulnerable before- she never saw him beaten up when he'd save her from danger. Or maybe she just never noticed.

Daisy gave Luigi an accusing stare. "Yeah, tell us, Luigi." Luigi looked back and forth between them. _I didn't do anything!_ "Um, well, I- Mario was- and then I- and then this dog- and, um, oh, and E. Gadd-"

"Ooh! Well looky what we have here!" A stranger's voice echoed through the room. Everyone glanced around frantically. Luigi gulped. _I hope it's not a ghost._ In the center of the room materialized a short cloaked man out of thin air. Only his pearly-whites could be seen from under the hood. An invisible wind dramatically blew his cloak around. Luigi was half-disappointed, half-terrified. _Who the heck is this?_

"The whole gang!" the stranger cried avidly. "Mario, the tenacious hero, who's currently out of commission. Peach, the blonde sweetheart, bless your soul. Daisy, the feisty redhead, who's more spunk than smart." Daisy scowled. Luigi stared at the stranger. _What about me?_ The man read his mind. "And who could forget good boy Luigi, the _baby_ of the group?" Luigi matched expressions with Daisy. _Are you kidding me?_

_"_We are terribly sorry for the intrusion, we will be on our way now," Peach said quickly, and turned to open the door but grasped nothing. The door handle had disappeared. She glanced at Mario. _Please wake up. You'd know what to do._

_"_Um, no," the stranger snapped, then calmly continued, "All I had to do was create a little tension, and then lure one of you inside." The Polterpup appeared at his side and nuzzled his hand. The man looked down and beamed with pride. "You were such a good girl, carrying out Daddy's plans so well!" The dog barked happily before meeting eyes with Luigi. Then it trotted through a wall and disappeared. The stranger rubbed his hands together.

"I can't wait to continue! So much suffering!"

Luigi's eyes widened, then narrowed.

"Suffering?" he repeated too loudly, thinking about the dream that had frightened him last night. _Was that you who did that?_

_"_Oh, yes. Much suffering. Where I'm from, things are very boring, you see," said the mystery man. "I wanted to liven things up, but no one agreed. I had so much FURY that I went to Star Haven and talked to the Star Spirits myself." He kept tapping his side as he spoke, his fingers increasing in speed the longer he talked. Daisy wouldn't remove the scowl off her face. Peach raised an eyebrow and spoke up in a bold tone, "Are you threatening my kingdom?" She wasn't going to be afraid of this guy, he hadn't done anything yet. The cloaked stranger smiled for the umpteenth time, sending shivers down everyone's spine. He strode over to the Mushroom princess, his arms now hidden by the cloak. Luigi watched him carefully. His muscles itched. _If you lay a finger on her, I will end you, no matter how tired I am._

"Maybe I am," whispered the stranger. He lifted a hand to stroke her hair, only stopping when he noticed Luigi's death stare. The man cleared his throat. "Speaking of your kingdom, you should probably check on that. You, uh, left it. For about twenty-four minutes." He paused to adjust his gloves. "Wouldn't it be a tragedy if something happened to it?" Peach's brave face disappeared but Daisy's was just getting on.

"What did you do?" Daisy said, her fists balling up. She'd defend the Mushroom Kingdom with her life if she had to.

Luigi glanced at each of the girls, at a loss for words. _What can I do about this?_

_I'm the man right now, I have to take charge and deal with the problem head-on! Like Mario would. But I'm not Mario! I can't be like Mario!_

Luigi straightened his spine, put his hands on his hips, and bellowed, "Whoever you are, you are NOT going to mess with us!"

No, he didn't say that. He mumbled just barely loud enough for them to hear, "You guy, um, you can't just- I mean, whoever you- ugh." Wincing at himself, he shrank.

_Why. Do. I. Do. This._

The stranger gave him a pity smile. "Aw, look at you. Trying to stand up to me but you _can't_." He backed away from the confused group and threw his hands in the air. "You wanna know what I did? See for yourself!" He spat out a maniacal chuckle that would make Kooky give him a round of applause.

All Luigi had to do was blink for the entire mansion to disappear. The dark forest surrounding the field they were in wasn't as scary as the fact that the entire mansion just popped out of existence. The stranger in the cloak was nowhere to be seen.

_What is it with creepy mansions disappearing?_ thought Luigi.

Daisy stomped the grass. "What the hell? Where'd the mansion go?!" Peach wasn't paying attention; she stared over the trees at the rising puff of smoke.

_That's coming from the Mushroom Kingdom!_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_What is the cloaked stranger's deal? And will Mario wake up from his injury-induced slumber?_


	6. Big Problems

Chapter Six: Big Problems

Luigi crouched next to Mario, holding two fingers at the side of his neck, and sighed in relief when he felt a vein pulsating at a slow rhythm.

"Peach, we have to find that guy before he-" Daisy started shouting with her fist pounding her hand but noticed Peach hurriedly walking away. "Where are you going?!" Peach didn't stop, only turned and yelled back, "My kingdom needs me!" Daisy took off after her.

Luigi picked up Mario again, groaning and huffing. Mario's head flopped around before smacking into Luigi's shoulder. His limbs dangled and slapped Luigi's sides. Luigi ignored Mario's body pressing against his bruised back; threatening to topple him over as he followed the girls as fast as he could.

They all came to a flowery hill with a single tree that overlooked the Mushroom Kingdom. What they saw when they looked past the tree was horrible- some Toad houses had been crushed completely and some sliced in half, their inhabitants running around screaming; the three-spired castle had become a one-spired castle on fire. In the center of it all stomped two Goombas half the size of the castle.

"Chuboombas," Peach gasped. "But why are they doing this?" Her voice jerked. She glanced at Mario with glossy eyes. _Mario's the only one who can stop this. And he's… not able to at the moment. _She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

Daisy marched down the hill with a fiery look in her eyes. _I'm going to punch those bitches to hell._ She would've said this aloud, but remembered that Peach doesn't admire profanity and bit back her tongue.

Peach looked at Luigi, her face pale, with a thin-lipped smile.

"Luigi, take your brother to Emergency Help and Care," she said softly, "and then maybe you can assist me in dealing with this issue?" Luigi gave a single nod and tried his best to run down the hill carrying an over two-hundred-pound man on his aching back.

* * *

The Toads darted around Toad Town shrieking with their arms flapping about. Luigi pushed through the hysterical crowds and almost tripped on a grounded Toad- a small old lady with a scarf on her head.  
"I'm-a sorry! A-are you okay?" Luigi cried, ignoring his stutter. The lady gave him a sheepish smile and pointed to her legs- one of them was swollen. "I've fallen and I can't get up." Luigi took one hand off Mario and swept up the old lady. "I got you, miss."

_That's sweet, Luigi, but now carrying Mario is going to be twice as hard._

Luigi staggered down the path, occasionally glancing around. He looked to his right and saw a Chuboomba stomping on a Toad house, its fat cheeks bouncing up and down. Luigi picked up his pace.

He kicked open the door to the EHC and put the disabled old lady in the hands of the first doctor he saw. "Help her, please." The doctor nodded. His eyes widened when he noticed what Luigi was carrying on his back.

"Good heavens!" he exclaimed and rushed away with the injured woman. Soon, he returned with two other Toads in doctor apparel wheeling a cot. Luigi watched as they grabbed Mario, gently laid him on the cot, and took him away. He was suddenly aware of his own breathing. _He'll be okay._ He slowed his breathing, taking in as much air as possible. Luigi went back outside and pushed through the panicked crowd, searching for any injured, which was about as easy as running through a crowd on Black Friday.

* * *

Daisy held a hammer at her chest as she approached one of the Chuboombas.

"Hey, UGLY!" The big thing looked down at her and grinned.  
"Whatcha gonna do to me with that, little girl?" he jeered. Daisy caught herself gasping, the words cutting through her like jagged metal. Her eyes burned, suddenly on the verge of tears. She swallowed them away, along with a memory that seized her mind and threatened to take over.

Daisy scowled, her teeth gritted and her nostrils flared.

"THIS, ASSHOLE!" she screamed at the top of her lungs and slammed the hammer into the Chuboomba's foot. He hollered a cry of pain and leaped in the air, crashing to the ground and wriggling like a beetle stuck on its back. Daisy took a few steps back, inhaled deeply, and ran up to him. She leaped into the air and smacked the hammer right into his teeth. He hopped up and screamed, "MY TEEF! YOU BROKE MY TEEF!" He zoomed off, fleeing from the Mushroom Kingdom. Daisy smirked.

* * *

Peach ran through the chaos, heading straight for her castle. She burst open the doors. The damage wasn't as bad as she'd initially thought- the main room was just as she'd left it except for a few chunks of the ceiling and a broken chandelier on the floor. Some Toads lifted a few pieces and threw them into a pile in the center of the room.

"What happened?" Peach asked them. They looked up, their eyes big as dinner plates, and one replied, "The- the Chuboombas bombed the top of the castle! We didn't know what to do! We're sorry, your majesty!" The floor shook under their feet, startling them all. One of the Toads screamed.

"They're coming RIGHT NOW!"

"What do we do, Princess?"

Peach stared at them with her mouth cracked open before finding her voice. "Find somewhere safe in the castle. I will try to talk to them." A small part of her was regretting her decision. The Toads nodded and darted away. The door burst open and Peach flinched. _Wait, I wasn't ready!_ Daisy came in red-faced and huffing but with a cocky grin.

"Got rid of one!" she announced proudly, lifting her hammer. Peach gave her a nod of approval.

A giant lollipop slashed through the doorway. The princesses stumbled back, bumping into each other. A Chuboomba burst through the front wall. Peach and Daisy ducked to avoid flying brick chunks. A sharp pebble nicked Daisy's arm without her noticing.

"FOOD!" bellowed the Chuboomba, stomping his foot angrily. Daisy's brows furrowed and she stepped forward with the hammer ready to strike, but Peach put out a hand.

"We do have food here, yes," Peach said, her voice calm but loud enough to be heard. "Why are you destroying everything if you could just ask?" The Chuboomba's brows lifted for a moment then sunk back down.

"Because that's what the new boss told us to do," he said. Peach contemplated her answer, then spoke.

"Well, how about…" She was silent, hesitating, "-you can… you can have the giant cake in the fridge if you promise to leave." Peach bit her lip. _That was for Mario._ Daisy shot her a look but Peach mouthed _I have to_. The Chubomba's face lit up.

"OOH! YES! GIMME!" he exclaimed, bouncing up and down. Peach put her hands out, signaling for him to calm down, then rushed into the kitchen. Daisy sighed as she met eyes with the immense Goomba and looked away before he said anything to her. _It's not the same one. But still._

Soon, out came Peach and some Toads pushing a 10-foot cake out the kitchen. Daisy's jaw dropped in awe. _This was for Mario? Was he gonna eat that whole thing? No wonder he's so chubby._ Fluffy swirls of pink and red danced across the cake. Daisy watched as it wobbled and flinched every time it came close to tipping over. The Chuboomba licked his lips. With one massive chomp, he took half the cake. He gulped down the mouthful after only a few chews and, not pausing to breathe, took another bite. Peach turned away sharply and Daisy's nose crinkled. Only a few crumbs remained on the platter. The Chuboomba licked the icing off his lips and stared at the girls with twinkling eyes.

"That was amazing!" he exclaimed, "I want more of that!" Peach blinked.

"I'm afraid not. After all, you did promise to leave after you… swallowed my cake." The Chuboomba's smile vanished and his brows dropped harder than hail in a thunderstorm.

"I PROMISED NOTHING!" he shouted and stomped the floor, leaving cracks. Peach's stomach sank. _Why did I think he would keep the deal?_ The Chuboomba pounded the floor more, making everyone in the room shake and stumble. Daisy clutched Peach's arm, saying, "We should get out of here." They noticed that the Chuboomba was still blocking the front exit.

"We'll cut through the garden, lose him there," declared Peach. Daisy replied with a nod. They whirled to head to the second exit, but a giant lollipop sliced the floor and drew a circle around them. The Chuboomba loomed over them, his huge mouth drooling.

"You're not going anywhere," he growled.

* * *

Luigi gave two Toad children to their parents and ran off in search of anyone else that needed assistance. The whole way, he'd ignored his exhaustion, but now it was coming back in the form of a hellish painful headache. He stopped running to take a breath and let his cranial pain subside. Then he noticed the Chuboomba blocking the castle entrance.

"Oh no!" he let out. He got that all-too-familiar, very-popular feeling again: fear- the kind that makes your stomach pretzel and makes you feel like throwing up your guts. T_he princess is in danger and Mario's not here to save her! What do I do?_ He glanced down and saw that his knees were trembling. _No, not now! Oh, Mario, if you were to suddenly get up and-_ A red streak shot past him. Luigi felt as if the anvil perched atop his shoulders lifted. Whether it was Mario or not, Luigi chased after the streak, the pain in his body floating away along with the dust his feet kicked up.

* * *

"What do we do now?" Daisy asked, her voice jolting. She cleared her throat. "Should we fight?" Peach couldn't bring herself to look at her. Her messy, sweaty hair fell over her face as she bowed her head.

_If I fight back and actually win, the peace treaty between us and Goombas would be over. So, if I must, I'll take defense._

Her fists balled up then retracted as she took a deep breath. She felt tingles of her power running through her veins and tickling every nerve ending in her body. Pink sparks danced around her fingers. She closed her eyes. "What are you doing?" Daisy asked, but Peach didn't respond; either wasn't listening or was ignoring her. The Chuboomba raised a foot and brought it down hard on the royals. Daisy ducked and let out a shriek. The foot didn't touch the frizzy bun on her head. She looked up and noticed a pellucid pink bubble surrounding her and Peach. Both Daisy and the Chuboomba gaped and stared at it in awe. Daisy narrowed her eyes at Peach, a smile on her face. "I didn't know you could do that!" Peach flashed a smile back. She felt pride rise in her chest, choking out her fear.

"HEY! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! LEMME SMASH YOU!" shouted their attacker, shooting frothy spit out of his mouth. He kicked the magic bubble. The girls flinched but the bubble remained intact. Daisy made a noise that was a mixture between a laugh, a shriek, and a moan. The bubble wobbled and fizzed as it received two more kicks from the angry Chuboomba. Peach swallowed. Daisy screamed exactly what Peach was thinking:

"How long is that going to last?!"

To answer her question, not very long. Another kick and the bubble was spasming and flickering away, A nasty grin spread across the Chuboomba's face as he lifted his foot for the sixth time. Then the smile faded. He thought aloud, "Hmm, what would be the consequences of smashing two royals?" His eyes went back and forth between the girls. The smile returned and he made an odd head motion that was supposed to be a shrug. "Eh, whatever." Peach and Daisy closed their eyes, preparing for the inevitable.

They heard a thunk followed by a loud crash that shook the floor under their feet. Peach opened her eyes, releasing a breath she couldn't remember when she'd decided to hold. She discreetly patted her arm to make sure she really was alive before scanning the area. Her magic bubble was gone and on the floor laid an unconscious Chuboomba. Standing before the downed creature was none other than everyone's hero, Mario. His hair hung over his eyes, dark due to dampness. In his bloodstained hands, he clutched his mighty hammer. Peach felt a wave of relief wash over her.

"M… Mario?" Her dry lips could barely form the words. Mario met her eyes and gave a friendly smile, one that sent a rush of warmth through her.

"_Signorina_, are you oka-" Mario started, but Peach already had her arms around him.

"We didn't know if you were okay," she said, her voice muffled; her face buried in his shoulder.

"Mario!" said Daisy from behind Peach. "You're okay!" Mario's smile shrank as he took on a neutral expression. He broke away from Peach's tight embrace.

"Very nice. You'll send my payment in the mail, _sì_?" he said, no emotion in his words. Peach's smile vanished. "What?"

"_Grazie Dio_!" Luigi ran up and exclaimed rather suddenly, hopping once in the air with his hands on his cheeks. He leaned forward to give Mario a jovial kiss but hesitated. _He might still be mad at me._ Luigi took an awkward step back. Mario cocked his head at him for a moment, then grinned.

"Ah, brother. So nice to see you."

Peach's mouth was still stuck in the "what" position. She put her hands together and took a breath before asking, "Mario, you are okay, right?" Her eyes scanned his body, noticing things she hadn't noticed before. "You're still covered in blood." Mario looked at his clothes, then looked back up, color draining from his face; with a grimace like he hadn't known. Luigi nearly fainted when he saw his brother's expression. He'd never seen his big brother look like that; with a face of confusion and newfound terror. Luigi felt pressure around him, like deep water. _Calm down, calm down. It's okay- no, it's not! _Trying to breathe calmly, he mustered the strength to ask, "Mario, do you remember what happened to you?" Mario was examining the bandage on his hand.

"No," he said after a pause. "No, I don't. What happened?" All but Mario gave each other a wince that said the same thing: _Should we tell him?_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_It seems that the hero has hit his head a little too hard... looks like it's up to the princesses and Luigi to keep the kingdom in order!_


	7. Star Haven

Chapter Seven: Star Haven

"Princess, will the Chuboombas come back and destroy everything we hold dear?"

"Do we need to evacuate, your Majesty?"

"Want a brownie, your Highness?"

Peach raised her hand in the air, signifying silence. The crowd's buzzing trailed off. "Everything will be fine," she reassured them. But did she really believe that? "Begin repairing the damage until dusk. Then, everyone, find places to stay. If you have nowhere to stay, you can stay in the castle."

The crowd flared up again with Toads yelling incomprehensively. Peach sighed, resting her arms on the podium.

"I have a question, if you don't mind," Toadsworth said over the shouts of the villagers. Peach glanced at him over her shoulder and gave him a placid smile. "Go ahead, Toadsworth."

"Where is Master Mario and Master Luigi?"

* * *

"You ran away?!"

Mario sat on the examination table, swinging his legs, wearing nothing but boxers and socks. He wouldn't make eye contact with anyone but the smooth floor. Dr. Toadden wrapped a cold compression pad around Mario's abdomen, nodding to Luigi. "Yes, we were analyzing the bruises with the scanner when he suddenly sat upright. We tried to get him to lay back, but he shook us off and left."

Luigi shot lasers into Mario's head with his eyes. _Always so stubborn, you are._ He hadn't told him what happened- only dragged his stubborn butt back to the EHC. Now, he didn't know whether to feel angry or sorry for him. His brain was arguing with itself:

_He should not have run away like that! But you did! But no one cares about me- everyone cares about Mario! Mario was hurt! So what? He deserves it. No, he doesn't! How could you say that?_

He caught the doctor's glare and realized he hadn't been paying attention.

"_Mi despiace,_ I wasn't-a listening."

"I was asking you if you knew what happened," said Dr. Toadden, a vexed edge in his voice. "You were the one who brought him here."  
"I, uh, found him like this- yeah, like this. In a- in a mansion," Luigi answered. His fingernail scraped the rough hem of his overall pockets.

_Why am I feeling guilty? It wasn't my fault. But maybe it was my fault… did I cause this? Aw, I mess everything up!_

The doctor gave a skeptical look before explaining, "I can give him a mushroom to heal his bruises and lacerations, but his memory- I can't fix that." Luigi's fingers dropped from his pockets and he opened his mouth to cry a desperate _There has to be something!_

"I believe that I will be fine, _fratellino_," said Mario before Luigi could protest, lifting his head only for it to fall to his chest. His voice trailed off and his eyelids opened and closed in a slow rhythm.

"Don't fall asleep yet, Mario," said Dr. Toadden, wagging a finger and walking out of the room, "I have yet to give you the healing mushroom."

Luigi looked at the chair behind him but forgot how to sit. When he looked back up, he noticed Mario staring at his hat. Mario's eyes dropped to meet Luigi's.

"I know it was you, brother," he said, his face unmoving. He folded his hands in his lap. Luigi felt his shoulder muscles tighten.

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly. Mario looked over Luigi's shoulder and brought two fingers to his mustache to twirl one side of it.

"The last thing I remember? Us fighting. You did this to me." Mario could only point a finger for three seconds before his arm fell back down. "All I did was tell you how I felt. And then you started hurting me." His voice wavered at the last word like he was going to cry. Luigi opened and shut his mouth- he had no idea what to say.

_That's not at all what happened. I can't tell him what happened- he'll be even more upset! And I don't want to comfort him, either!_

Mario slid off the table, his knees buckling when his feet hit the floor. For just a second, Luigi glanced at the doorway. _Please don't hurt me!_ Mario regained his balance only to lose it. An involuntary catch, Luigi swiped him from the air before his head hit the desk.

"I got you, bro," he said. The warm smile on his face disappeared when Mario pushed away with gritted teeth, snapping, "Don't grab me like that." Luigi flung his hands up, not wanting to make things worse. _What has happened to you?_ He swallowed, considering playing the role of the leader.

_What's the worst thing that could happen?_ His brain replied bitterly, _Mario beats you to a pulp._

_He wouldn't do that! Or maybe he would!_

"You need to sit back d-down, Mario." He tried to be firm, but his voice stuttered and whimpered. "You're- you're hurt." He laid a hand on his brother's shoulder.  
"I don't think I need to do that," said Mario, yanking his arm away, "I'm perfectly fine. You saw me take down that pest earlier, right?" Luigi groaned and pulled his face. He was getting fed up with Mario's act. _Where is that doctor?_ '"Mario, please stop being stubborn! I only want to help you!" cried Luigi. "_Per favore_!" The brothers stared at each other- Mario with a moue and Luigi with pleading eyes. Then, "Fine," he grumbled and climbed back onto the table. Luigi instinctively reached over to help him but drew his arms back. _He doesn't want my help._ A part of him shrank.

Dr. Toadden returned two seconds later, holding a napkin bundle that he soon unwrapped, revealing two fresh, red mushrooms with white dots evenly spaced all over it. He handed it to Mario. Luigi watched Mario study all angles of the mushroom before staring it right in the "eyes". _Just eat it already_, Luigi wanted to say. As if he'd heard, Mario took a careful bite. Luigi caught himself before he "helped" Mario quickly eat the mushroom.

_He's eating that like it's his first time. I wonder if staring at it increases its medicinal properties? Don't be stupid, Luigi._

Luigi looked down to find a mushroom wagging in his face. "Here. You look like you need it," said the doctor. At first, Luigi frowned. _Do I really look that bad?_ He opened his mouth to say "No, thank you" but the words never came. His brain wasn't letting him decline the offer and reminded him of his sore nose, bruised back, weak legs, and aching head. He took the mushroom.

"_Grazie_." But he didn't eat it.

* * *

Luigi stepped out of the help center, his feet halting abruptly when he almost didn't notice Princess Peach standing in the doorway.

"Oh!" they both cried simultaneously. Peach ran a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her face florid only for a second.

"I'm-a sorry!" Luigi exclaimed, raising his hands. Peach grasped his hands and lowered them, saying, "It's alright, Luigi." She eyed the man staring her up and down behind Luigi. Mario noticed her looking and his eyes snapped shut and fluttered open like she'd broken a trance of his. Peach looked back to Luigi.

"He's going to be okay, right?" she said, lowering her voice even though Mario was close enough to hear her anyway. Luigi gave a nod after a few seconds of hesitation. "Uh, yeah, yeah, he'll be fine."

"Probably," he muttered under his breath. Mario stepped out from behind Luigi and pointed a finger at Peach.

"Hello, again, _bellissima_. You never thanked me for saving your castle," he said, his eyebrows pointed. There was an odd slithery tone in his voice. Luigi cringed. He had only heard that voice once: A younger Mario had saved a gorgeous, southern brunette named Pauline from the clutches of an enraged ape standing on top of an unsteady scaffolding. The second danger had passed Pauline was in Mario's arms, tracing her finger around the shiny buttons of his overalls. "Thank you for saving me. Although," she'd said, "how will I ever repay you?" After a moment of thought, Mario ran his tongue over his teeth. "There is a way I would accept." It was supposed to be flirty, no doubt, but Luigi took it as creepy- like the kind of voice a serial killer would use to lure their victims to their house.

_Don't think like that- Mario's not a serial killer. Although, to be honest, you really don't know Mario- stop that!_

"Oh, um, thank you," said Peach. There was a gap between each word.

"Now, about that payment-" Mario began but was interrupted by a slap on the shoulder by a redhead. Peach exhaled, very relieved to have this awkward conversation interrupted. Daisy squeezed Mario so hard that Luigi imagined his eyes popping out and felt his stomach churn. _Why would you imagine that?_

"Glad to see you're okay, Mario!" Daisy shouted. She let Mario go. He rubbed his sides with a wince. "Yes, thank you. I guess." Daisy's face fell as she realized that Mario was not okay.

The group walked down a path and prepared to go their separate ways when Luigi asked the big question:

"What about that bad guy?"

Everyone looked to Mario on instinct. Mario narrowed his eyes at them. "What?" Then everyone's eyes went to Peach, the next leader. Peach rubbed her arm.

"We'll… just wait for him to come back- er, wait for him to make his next move, and strike then," she said. Luigi hung back from the group, thinking.

_Hmm. What can I contribute? That bad guy- he did explain to us how he got his powers, didn't he? He said that he talked to-_

Daisy suddenly snapped at Peach, messing up Luigi's thought process.

"Are you serious? You just wanna wait for him to destroy more of your kingdom?" Peach took a breath.

"Until we know more about him, that's what we must do," she told her. Daisy scowled, her mouth popping open to say more.

"Star Spirits!" Luigi cried. Everyone looked to him and said in unison, "What?"

"Th- the Star Spirits- they- he- his powers-" The pressure of actually being listened to caused his words to trip. Again.

"Luigi, what the heck are you talking about-" Daisy shot, still agitated for some reason. Peach interrupted her.

"No, let him talk. I think he's on to something." Daisy huffed and stepped back.

"Go on, Luigi," Peach said to him. Luigi felt his ears get hot only for a second. He continued, but this time he was confident.

"The bad guy said that he talked to the Star Spirits. He must have gotten his powers-"

Peach finished his sentence. "With a wish." Luigi grinned, happy that she was catching on. "Right. We should talk to them, get information on this bad guy. And then-"

Peach did it again. "We can see what we're up against." They both nodded. Daisy's lips tightened.

Then Luigi got an idea. "What if they know how to undo a wish?" Everyone's eyebrows lifted. Was that even possible?  
"Undo a wish?" Peach said, cocking her head. It sounded wrong to her.

Daisy scoffed. "That's impossible." Peach shot her a look. "How do you know?" she said, really not trying to be rude but it sure came out that way.

"Because-" Daisy couldn't come up with a good explanation and groaned in defeat. "Ugh. You're right. So you want to travel to Star Haven now?" Peach glanced to her friends, then nodded.

"Absolutely," she said.

* * *

After informing Toadsworth and the Guard that they were headed out, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, and Mario went on their first quest. With Peach in the lead, the group marched down a dirt path surrounded by trees both leafy and mushroom-like. They passed a few villages, their inhabitants waving at the sight of them.

"Why'd you wear a dress, Peach?" Daisy said, gesturing to her own tank top and shorts. "You know we'll be walking a good distance." Peach grinned over her shoulder.

"It'll come in handy." Daisy pursed her lips. "Whatever."

Luigi lagged behind the group, thinking to himself as usual.

_I hope this is quick. Mario isn't leading us this time._

He didn't know whether to be happy or worried.

* * *

After a few hours, the tall blue mountain came into view. Above them, the sky darkened and a haphazard pattern of stars glimmered brilliantly- occasionally one or two would fall and tink against the ground. The place gave off a peaceful aura, it felt like everyone's struggles just evaporated as soon as they entered it.

Luigi stopped to let his jaw drop in awe while the rest of them continued walking. Peach glanced behind her.

"Never been here before, Luigi?" she said.

"Only once, but a long time ago. It's… it's still breathtaking." Mario rubbed his non-hatted head while everyone nodded in agreement.

"This is my first time here. It _is_ beautiful," admitted Daisy, her voice missing its harsh tone.

_You should take Daisy here on a date_, Luigi's brain noted.

The group marched on Star Way, the rocky path making it difficult to keep their footing steady. They passed dainty star-shaped flowers.

"Those flowers- I need those for my yard," Daisy spoke and rushed over to them. Peach put a gentle hand on Daisy's arm to stop her from whatever she'd planned on doing. "Daisy, those are wishes." Daisy reached out to touch one but hesitated. Peach nodded. "It's okay." Daisy caressed the glowing petals of the wish flower, her face lighting up with amazement. Then it whispered something with the squeaky voice of a child. Daisy recoiled.

"_I wish I would grow up big and strong like my daddy._" Peach beamed and soon everyone else found themselves doing the same. Mario knelt down in front of another wish, putting his face two inches from it.

"How does that even work?" he mumbled to himself. He tenderly tapped the wish star.

"_I wish I were popular._" After examining the flower for a bit more, Mario stood up and the group continued walking. Peach caught a wish flower a few yards away, all by itself. She advanced toward it, calling behind her, "Keep going. I'll catch up." After puzzled looks, the group walked without her. Peach approached the lone wish.  
"_I wish the princess felt the same way about me as I feel about her_," the wish echoed with a familiar voice.

"That's my wish!" Peach flinched, only now aware that Mario had been following her. Peach's mouth opened, perhaps to scold him, perhaps not. Then the flower continued.

"_I want to give you my love, Princess. And my brother as well- er, not in the same way of course. I wish I could just understand him the way Mama did._"

"Oh," Mario said. He frowned into the distance, in deep thought or perhaps confused. Peach tapped her arm, waiting for something to snap the slightly awkward silence. Then Mario said something.

"What really happened with me and my brother?" Peach began explaining in the best way she could, making sure to leave out Mario snapping at her. When she finished, Mario nodded to signal his understanding.

"I'd assumed it was all his fault," he admitted. "And getting mad over a striker game? How childish of me." Peach half-smiled, happy that he agreed. "Right? So immature." Mario flicked a speck off his overalls as he nodded in agreement. Then he paused, a sudden hesitation washing over him.

"All I remember is seeing him hurt me. I swore he hurt me," he said, his muscles tightening.

"No no, Luigi would never do anything to hurt you. He's your little brother," Peach responded rather quickly. Mario perked up. "Little brother? I thought he was my older brother." Peach grinned but it soon faded when she realized he wasn't kidding. "Mario, Luigi is your little brother."

"Oh." He muttered to himself. "_Mamma mia, ho pensato… che diavolo, mi sbagliavo…_" Peach didn't quite understand what he said, but, noticing his embarrassed tone, tried to make him feel better.

"Although, technically, you two are twins and- how exactly does one tell who is oldest?" Mario paused, his mouth cracked open.

"I have no idea."

* * *

Luigi watched Peach and Mario from a distance, too far to hear them but close enough to see what they were doing.

_They're talking about me, aren't they? I bet Mario got Peach to turn against me! She'll never acknowledge me now! And now he's wooing her! Ohh, I bet he's inviting her over. I'll have to sleep at my house instead while the two of them roll all over the carpet that I'll have to clean later-_

"Luigi, you do realize you're mumbling your thoughts out loud, right?" Daisy interrupted Luigi's mumbling. Luigi felt his ears burn. _Uomo! Why, mouth, do you betray me?_ He scratched the back of his head, forcing a laugh. "Oh, um, sorry, I guess." Daisy didn't turn to face him when she replied hastily, "No need to apologize. It's not bothering me." Luigi shrugged away his face redness. "O-okay then."

_It is bothering her. But I can't talk to her now, I have to wait for the right moment._

* * *

At last, the four approached the shimmering summit of the mountain. Seven glowing circles surrounded them. "What are those?" asked Mario as he raised his fists. "Star Spirits," gasped Luigi and Peach. Out from the circles materialized seven stars- Eldstar, Mamar, Skolar, Muskular, Misstar, Klevar, and Kalmar.

"Why, hello there!" greeted Eldstar. His smile was hard to notice underneath his bushy mustache snowy-white with age.

"Ooh! How is my favorite girl, Princess Peach?" sang Mamar. Peach curtsied, a tiny smile on her face. Mamar chuckled with the energy of Christmas bells when she noticed Daisy's face. "Don't look like that, Daisy, I'm just kidding!" Daisy relaxed her shoulders but her sour expression remained.

"Mario, my man!" called Muskular. "How have you been?" Mario rubbed his neck. "Uh, good, good." Muskular tightened his lips.

"So, what brings Mario and his friends here today? Is Bowser on a rampage again? Do we need to relocate the Star Rod? How many buildings have been destroyed?" rambled Skolar, making fast hand gestures with each word. Luigi stepped out from behind everyone, fumbling with the awkward bandage still bulging from underneath one of his gloves.

"Uh, do you still remember me? I'm-" he began, but all the Star Spirits cried, "Luigi!" Luigi couldn't help but beam like a spoiled child. _They do know everyone. It's been years since I last came here and they remembered me._ He stood there grinning until Misstar broke the silence, "Um, Luigi? Were you going to say something?" Luigi's shoulders dropped.

"Oh, right," he said. "Well, you see- we're here 'cuz there's this bad guy- um, he lured Mario into his not-mansion, which I went into and saved him- that's right, me- and then- and then the princesses show up and then the bad guy shows up and then the whole mansion goes poof. We go back home to find him… just destroying it. Without a single care." Luigi found Peach's hand on his shoulder. "Good job, Luigi," said Peach quietly. Luigi's goofy smile returned. _Stop that! It's not attractive!_ The Star Spirits remained quiet to process what they just heard. Kalmar spoke first.

"This 'bad guy', what does he look like?"

Instantly, the group threw jumbled descriptions at the Stars. When they quieted, Eldstar sighed to his comrades. "That sounds like the little green man we spoke to in recent days."

"Little green man?" Luigi cocked his head. _I'm the only little green man I know. Unless he's talking about a Beanish person._

Misstar nodded, the ribbons on her bow rocking with the rest of her body. "A green man in a cloak."

"But we don't know his name," said Klevar. "Which, technically, is impossible, because every breathing being we know of- we hear their wishes, after all."

"What was his wish?" Peach asked.

"He came asking for the ability to convert his imagination into reality," answered Eldstar. "We denied his request."

"But only because we could not recognize him, therefore we could not check his background for any badness," Klevar added.

"He was angry at first, then he quieted down- it almost seemed like he was crying. He began asking why we denied him," said Mamar.

Luigi felt his body calm; a sense of sympathy. _He just wanted to feel powerful_, his mind pointed out.

"So you gave it to him out of pity?" Daisy asked. The Star Spirits nodded.

"I fear we've made a mistake, giving him what he wanted," Eldstar said, his black eyes wide.

"But he looked so happy afterward," Misstar whined, the bottom points of her star body wiggling.

The conversation trailed off as a small part of Luigi bitterly whispered, _He doesn't deserve that power. Think of all the things we could do with that power. Think of all the people who would finally respect you._ Luigi didn't realize he was frowning.

"Can you undo it?" The words came out on their own volition.

The Star Spirits looked to him. "Undo what?" Luigi tugged on his sleeve. "Um, I mean, is it possible to undo a wish?" The Star Spirits glanced at one another until one of them decided to answer.

"Once a wish is fulfilled, only by the wisher's consent can we undo the action," Eldstar said, an uneasy edge in his voice.

"We can get him to say it," said Luigi before thinking. _How, Luigi?_

Daisy snorted. "What, just walk up to him and go, 'would you kindly say you don't want your wish anymore'?" When no one replied, her eyebrows softened. "You aren't actually thinking of doing this, are you?" Everyone looked to Luigi, who twirled his overall strap on his finger.

_They're all looking at me! What do I tell them? Would it work- walking up to the bad guy and asking nicely?_

"What choice do we have?" he answered.

* * *

Peach, Daisy, and Mario followed Luigi down the mountain. With every step, Luigi added a little bounce and some arm swings.

_I'm actually leading us! I'm actually confident! So rare! I haven't felt this since New Donk!_

They went back to the Mushroom Kingdom, the journey back quicker than the journey to Star Haven. They were ten feet from the gate when an intense tremor shook them onto their backs.

"What's happening now?!" cried Peach over the ear-splitting clamor of crumbling earth. "More giant Goombas?!"

"I hope not!" Daisy yelled, struggling to get to her feet. Luigi felt small once again. _There goes my confidence._

They stood and watched the gate open to reveal another nightmare- a ten-foot-wide crack had split the Mushroom Kingdom in half, the trench starting at the base of the castle and ending at their feet. Newly repaired Toad houses collapsed into the hole, their inhabitants scrambling out with the hope that they would make it out alive. Toads that lived not far from the center could only watch in terror.

Peach dropped to her knees; her shaking lips uttered desperate words. Luigi swallowed painfully, a heavy sense of guilt laying on his back. _This is all our- MY fault. I should never have left, I should never have left. Why did I have to be brave? Everyone's going to die and it's all my fault._

Hovering high above the damage, in the center of all the chaos, the bad guy tugged his cloak in exasperation when he caught the eyes of the protagonists.  
"My friends," he screamed with a whimper, "how could you betray me like this?!" Daisy shot a nasty look into his goggles. "Friends?! You destroyed this place! I'll rip your damn head off!" Spit seething in the corners of her mouth, she made a violent exemplary motion. Peach stood and put a hand on Daisy's shoulder.  
"Let him finish," she whispered, her eyes darting to Luigi, whose eyes went wide when he saw the spark of hope in her eyes. _Maybe this is my chance_, he thought.

"I know what you guys are up to!" continued the bad guy. He jagged his finger at the air. "You were plotting to have my powers removed!" Daisy groaned while Luigi just sighed. _There goes our plan. Why did I think that would work, anyway?_ Luigi bit his lip as he tried to remain calm; tried to keep from bursting into tears. The gaping hole in the ground slid open another foot, shaking everyone off their feet again. A Toad held onto the edge for dear life as he dangled above the abyss. Peach ran to their aid and helped them up.

"Get to the castle!" she ordered. "Tell everyone!" The bad guy was shaking, his fists clenched, as he said through gritted teeth, "You guys won't stop me," with a voice sounding like the low growl of an agitated dog. "But I will!" declared Mario as he sprung in the air using a powerful jump. Luigi tried to snatch him out of the air and, failing to get a grasp, cried, "No!" as he watched Mario's feet land on top of the cloaked man's head. They both ended up on the ground.

"Solving violence with violence," grumbled the bad guy, crawling out from underneath Mario and brushing dirt specks off his cloak, "Typical Mario. You still haven't changed." Mario hopped to his feet and bounced on his heels, ready to fight. Luigi and Daisy watched as the hero and the villain stood before one another as if waiting for each other to attack. Then, before Mario could make a move, the bad guy lifted his hand and flung Mario upwards.

"Whoa!" Luigi and Daisy both exclaimed, their heads tilting back to see Mario dangling in midair. _What could this guy do?!_ Luigi thought, afraid to meet eyes with the powerful stranger. For all they knew, he could have laser eyes.

"What are you- PUT ME DOWN!" screamed Mario as he thrashed in the air. The bad guy hovered toward him until he was two inches from his face. He lifted his hand, his glove reflecting the early afternoon sun, and slammed it onto Mario's forehead, where he held it there for a solid ten seconds.

"What is he doing?" Daisy asked Luigi, who had as much as a clue as she did. Mario came to an abrupt stop in struggling and Luigi tensed. Oh no! What did he do? Before anyone could react, Mario dropped from the air. Luigi's arms shot out in a desperate attempt but he knew he was too far to catch him.

"Are you okay, bro?" Luigi loomed over him. Mario sat up, groaning. Luigi smiled in relief, but the smile vanished when Mario suddenly went pale. His eyes wide, Mario screamed with a throat-scratching tone, one that shot Luigi's nerve endings.

"LUIGI! NO!"

Luigi swallowed, his throat dry suddenly. "Mario, I'm right here." He shook his shoulder. Mario didn't react, nor did he look up, only whimpered the same words over and over. "Luigi, my baby bro…"

"He did something to him," Daisy said, looking back to the smiling little man floating in the air, and then stomped her foot. "WHAT DO YOU WANT, ANYWAY?" The bad guy dropped down with ease, landing on the tips of his toes.

"You wouldn't understand my motives," he said with a dramatic gesture, "and telling you my plans would be stupid. But I will tell you my name, since I really don't want to be called 'bad guy' anymore." He spun around, his vibrant cape spinning with him.

"I'm Frackai! Genius at planning evil and super-mega powerful!"

Frackai continued talking, but Luigi couldn't hear anything over the cries of his brother. He tugged the hair under his hat. What do I do? Is this how Mario feels when I act like this? How does he get me to stop crying? Luigi noticed his body quivering. You have to calm down first.

"Okay," he said aloud and took deep breaths. He knelt down in front of Mario and waved in his face to get his attention. Mario's eyes shifted to meet Luigi's, giving him an uneven gaze. Luigi swallowed. "Hey, are you okay?" Please be okay, please be okay-

"Luigi?" Mario whispered, weakly smiling before his body went limp. Luigi froze, waiting to ensure Mario's breathing was steady.

"I can do all that for you, just please, stop terrorizing my kingdom." Peach stood before Frackai, while Daisy remained in the distance frowning. All remaining Toads had gathered together, awaiting a signal from their leader. A huge grin sat on Frackai's face. Luigi stood up, setting Mario on his back again. _What did I miss?_

"Good," said Frackai, rising into the air again. "I will return in a week. That should be enough time for you to get what I want for me." He began to drift off. "Toodles, my friends."

"Hey!" Daisy called. Frackai turned halfway. "Yes?"  
"The giant rip in the ground? You said you'd fix it?" Frackai snorted to himself. "Oh, that's right." He waved his hand and the ground slammed back together like a giant hand clap. Everyone stumbled around, struggling to keep their balance. Toads toppled over each other like dominoes.

"What just happened?" Luigi muttered, apparently loud enough for Daisy to hear and reply, "Peach just made a deal with the enemy." Peach folded her arms.

"I had to," she declared, "or he would have destroyed everything."

"You could have called an attack," Daisy shot. She whirled around. "But you didn't. Because you're too nice to start a war." Luigi opened his mouth to stop an argument from happening, but his brain only ached and supplied him with no words to say.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Peach murmured after a pause.

"What exactly did you say to him?" Luigi finally got something out. Peach pulled the fingers of her satin gloves.

"He gave me a list of demands. I told him I would… I would give him what he wanted if he would stop destroying my kingdom." She straightened her spine and folded her hands. "I did what was best for my kingdom." Daisy rolled her eyes.

Luigi watched the girls argue, feeling heavy again. In a panic, he shook his head every few seconds. _I can't say anything! Why?! I don't want to start another fight. I can't do that. I can't hurt anybody else. I can't stop them, I can't. I can't be the cause of everything._

"Your Majesty," a familiar old raspy voice called. Peach ran to the sound, finding Toadsworth being escorted by a few guards. Her heart fell at his bedraggled appearance. "Oh my! Toadsworth, are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm alright. A bit alarmed, I'm quite," he said with a wave. "But the kingdom is in ruin. Again!"

"I know, it's awful. But I think- I-I have a plan." She rested her hand on the old Toad's head before shifting her eyes to her friends, a sudden determination giving her irises a twinkle. Luigi couldn't help himself from blurting out a pathetic, "Oh no."

"We're going on a _quest_."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Luigi and friends are starting their first quest to protect the Mushroom Kingdom. With tension rising between everyone, will they be able to get along AND complete the upcoming tasks?_


	8. Toad Brigade

**Act Two**

Chapter Eight: Toad Brigade

_Once there was a little girl, who often dreamed of visiting the stars. Once there was a little boy, who dreamed of making his father proud. One evening, the girl had been admiring the stars with her father's telescope when the boy, fascinated, asked if he, too, could see the stars. But the girl ran away, for the boy was different._

* * *

Into Rosalina's vision swam a multitude of bright colors gradually growing larger. She sat up, groaning; her head felt like a million hammers were pounding into one side of it, the pain making it impossible to think straight. _What happened?_ She blinked the world into focus and examined her surroundings. Circular walls. Polka-dot paint. Tiny picture frames holding cute portraits of a Toad family. This was a Toad house. Reality slapped her in the face like a train.

_Why am I here? Whose house is this? I shouldn't be here!_

She ran her hands through her hair, trying to remember what happened to her. Voices drew near, coming from the tiny wooden door on the left side of the room. Rosalina glanced at the tiny window to her right. _There is no way I'm fitting through that._

Rosalina heard the voice of an approaching visitor and laid back down, only now aware that she'd been laying on two tiny beds and a pile of pillows, the headboards of one of the beds jabbing her back. Two more people spoke, their voices raspy and thin.

"How's she been doing?" asked one.

"Her health seems good. But she's been out for like, two days."

Rosalina couldn't stop herself. "Two days?" she asked, sitting up suddenly. Four Toads screamed and fell on their butts.

"I thought- I thought unconscious people took time to wake up, not- not- what you- popping up and-" stammered one, the spots on his bulbous head bright green.

"You fell outta the sky!" a yellow Toad shouted, waving his arms. "On top of the captain!" A purple Toad rummaged through a dresser and took out a healing kit. With her free hand, she tried to push the thick lock of hair out of Rosalina's face. Rosalina recoiled. "Ah, please, don't touch my hair." Purple raised an eyebrow.

"You're not a bad guy, are you?" asked a blue Toad as he adjusted his thick round glasses. Rosalina opened her mouth to explain, but the Toads wouldn't let her get a word out. "Uh, no, l-"

"Can you fly?"

"Well-"

"Are you experiencing any pain?"

"Um-"

"HEY!" a new voice bellowed, silencing everyone. A red-spotted Toad in a tactical vest stood in the doorway. He looked Rosalina dead in the eye. "You're not dead." Rosalina felt a grin on her face. She knew this little guy.

"Hi, Captain-," she started, but the captain interrupted. "You know us?" Rosalina nodded. "Yeah, we met-" _Don't shatter the timeline, don't make things worse!_ "-uh, we- of course, I know you guys. You're famous! The Toad Brigade!" _Right? Please don't be wrong._ The captain half-heartedly chuckled. "Heh. Famous." Rosalina saw the incredulity in his eyes. _So not famous, but existent, at least._ The Toad quickly erased his smile and walked around the giant makeshift bed to inspect her.

"You're not a threat, are you?" he asked, squinting. Rosalina shook her head. "No." _Unless I need to be._

Captain Toad got closer. The squeaky marshmallow was trying his hardest to look intimidating. Rosalina swallowed what would have been an awkward smile that would have got her shot.

"Are you a tourist?"

"No." _They really don't remember._

"Then why have you come here? Are you one of Bowser's minions?" His hand reached into the inside of his vest. _This little guy can't hurt you_, Rosalina's mind commented as she felt her heart jump. _Don't feel threatened._

_"_I'm not your enemy," she stated calmly. "I'm… a friend of Mario and Luigi's." The Toads' beady eyes widened. The captain relaxed. "A friend of Master Mario… why didn't you start with that?"

"Pizza's here!" chipped a female Toad voice somewhere else in the house. The yellow Toad toddled out of the room instantly, exclaiming, "Ooh, yay! Food!"

"How did you fall out of the sky?" Captain Toad asked, spewing out the words quickly to not miss pizza time. Rosalina found herself involuntarily glancing upwards.

"I- there was this guy… he super-uppercut-ed me off my Comet Observatory. You said I was out for, what, two days?" Their big heads bobbed as they nodded in unison.

"Guys! Come get this food or Zee's gonna eat it all!" hollered that same voice. The mention of food made Rosalina suddenly aware of a burning feeling in her gut. _I must be STARVING._ She frowned. She hadn't felt pain in decades, so the sudden feeling was strange yet oddly soothing.

Green and Purple rushed away to eat, while Captain Toad simply stared into Rosalina's soul.

"Did this bad guy… did he have a huge-ass spike shell and-"

"It wasn't Bowser," Rosalina said dryly. The captain blinked. "Hmm. Okay." He tapped his foot. "Okay, I'll- I'll just- I'll check on you in a bit." He left the room, not breaking eye contact until the door closed.

Rosalina swung her legs over the side of the beds way too hard and slapped the soles of her feet on the hardwood floor. "_Accidenti_!" A wave of nausea squeezed her stomach.

"Alright, alright," she said to her gut. "I'm going." She closed her eyes to concentrate on lifting herself off the floor. Her body rose, only to sway forward and dump her face into the floor. She hissed another Italian curse word. _My powers are completely gone?_ The room spinning around her, she staggered to her feet and clutched the dresser to stabilize herself.

_I was out for two days? I don't feel like I've slept for two hours!_

A sudden sharp pain brought her hand to her face. "Ow!" She picked up a handheld mirror off the dresser and swept back her hair.

"_Che Diavolo_?" she murmured, her eyes widening. "It wasn't this bad!" A huge crack reminiscent of shattered glass covered the side of her face, the spaces between the cracks glowing and flashing rainbow colors.

"It wasn't that bad, no," said the Purple Toad, standing in the doorway. "It got worse every day." Rosalina threw her hair down in surprise. _She already saw it, no need for the paranoia._

"Come. Eat with us." The Toad offered a tiny hand.

Rosalina didn't hesitate. She followed the little person into the hallway, ducking under every doorway.

"My name's Chanterelle, by the way," said the Toad, drawing attention to the shiny pearl necklace around her neck by playing with it.

They came to the dining room, which connected to a tiny, disorderly kitchen. Toads sat around the round table, munching on pizza slices. They turned their heads when they heard Rosalina's massive footsteps. Chanterelle gestured to the only available chair. Rosalina sat down. Captain Toad shot a disapproving look to Chanterelle, who gave a _whatever_ look back.

"What's your name?" asked one of the Toads.

"Prin- uh, just Rosalina." _It doesn't matter if I say I'm a princess or not, it's not like they'd remember. _The blue Toad squinted. "Why do I feel like I've heard that before?" With a friendly smile on her face, Rosalina watched them introduce themselves. She already knew their names.

"I'm MacToad," said the green one in the plaid button-up and scarf, "but you can call me Mackie."

"Toadbert," said Blue, still squinting while adjusting the collar on his polo. The yellow one said something through a mouthful of food, spitting crumbs all over his grey hoodie. Chanterelle rolled her eyes. "That's Toadzee."

"I'm Toadette," said a pink one with the pigtails and graphic tee. "And this-" she shook the shoulder of the captain, who sat next to her eating a pizza crust- "-is Captain Geastrum Todd, who you know as Captain Toad." He gave a tiny wave, refusing to smile. "He acts tough but he's really a big ole cutie!" Toadette squeezed him as he groaned and shook his head.

"Somebody's gotta protect all you softheads," he muttered. Toadette slapped his shoulder. "Aw, you know it's true, Gee!"

"And I already introduced myself," said Chanterelle, delicately gripping a slice of pizza with two fingers. Toadbert rose from his seat to offer Chanterelle his. She grinned sweetly and took it.

Rosalina sat down, the tiny chair creaking as it struggled to carry her weight.

"Chanterelle," Captain Toad grumbled, not caring if Rosalina heard, "I thought we were going to keep her _in_ the room." Rosalina glanced at Chanterelle, who only rolled her eyes.

"Have some pizza, Rosalina," Toadette offered, holding up a box. "We've got cheese, pepperoni, and-" she glared at MacToad, "-soybean cheese, veggies, and pineapple vegan pizza." Toadette shook her head and splashed a red cup's contents into her mouth. "Next time, no special requests, skinny boy. Either you eating that cheese or you paying that extra thirty coins." MacToad took a sip from his herbal tea, cracking a smile in the process.

Rosalina chuckled to herself as she grabbed a slice of cheese pizza and dropped it on her styrofoam plate.

"In case it isn't evident, none of us can cook," Toadbert said. "We try, we fail, we go buy food instead. Last week, we ate cans of Chef Toadardee." The Toads all winced.

"_Blegh_. Whose idea was that again?" Zee asked. They pointed to the captain, who after a pause declared, "My turn. My choice." Toadette stared into her cup. "Your spaghetti was, like, the worst, I bet. That's why you had us eat the can stuff-"

"Change of subject!" he yelled. His eyes locked onto Rosalina. "Let's talk about you." Rosalina swallowed a chunk too big. "Me?"

"Yeah. You."  
Rosalina ran a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, uh… I'm nineteen. Just nineteen, not any older than that, of course." _Definitely haven't been alive for centuries or anything._

"I remember when I was nineteen two years ago," Toadette said. "It was fun. Did a lot of illegal shit. But I'm, you know, I'm smarter than that. More mature."

"More mature my ass," Captain Toad said in his cup. Toadette slapped his arm. "Dummy!"

"Where do you-" MacToad began but stopped. "Oh, that's right, you said some bad guy took your place." Rosalina nodded.

"Mayhaps you could describe this bad guy?" Rosalina's brow furrowed as she tried to force the memories forward. "Uh… I- he wore this blue cloak and- and- goggles, he wore goggles. He was your height, maybe a bit taller."

Toadbert's eyes narrowed. "Did he have a creepy looking smile?" Rosalina nodded after a pause. Captain Toad sighed.

"Were they Beanish?"

"I don't know," Rosalina replied sadly, "I couldn't get a good look of his face."

"It could be Fawful," Toadzee mumbled. Rosalina opened her mouth without thinking. "Can't be. He's already dea- uh, I mean, I don't think it's him. Can't be."

_Argh! Why does my mouth betray me?! You could have ruined everything! Maybe they didn't notice my slip-up?_

"Or it could be Popple." The Toads continued to think, having not heard Rosalina's slip-up.

"Nah, you know that guy doesn't work alone." Captain Toad stood up and picked up the plates.

"Is this bad guy a threat to the Mushroom Kingdom?" he asked, picking something out of his teeth. The words of the bad guy flashed into Rosalina's head.

_He had some kind of grudge against them. Maybe I can ask the bros if they've seen him. Wait, he knew me. He acted like he knew me. No, it can't be Lu. My little brother was taller than that. Someone from the future, definitely. And he has powers._

"Rosalina." The Toads had been calling her name.

_Oh right. I forgot they were even there. Habit gained from being alone for ages, I'm sure._

"Sorry, were you-"

"We were just saying how maybe we could help you," Chanterelle spoke. Rosalina felt a spark of hope in her chest.

"Maybe you can," she thought aloud.

* * *

The Toad Brigade led Rosalina to their dank garage. The air was heavy with the aroma of oil and sweat. A bin full of crumpled papers and metal parts sat in the corner. Rosalina couldn't stand upright in the tiny room and therefore had to crouch with her back rubbing the ceiling.

_Wow_, she thought. _This is the tiniest workspace I've ever been in._

"We've always wanted to explore outer space," began MacToad.

"So we've been working on a transportation device that could safely escort us as quickly as possible," finished Toadbert, his hands shuffling through a messy file drawer. "Got it." He held up a blueprint of a spacecraft in the shape of a mushroom. "We've already started the building process." Rosalina's eyes shifted to the giant tarp-covered object in the corner. _Could it really be the-_ Toadette yanked the dusty tarp off, revealing a round pile of conjoined metal with a harsh resemblance to-

"The Starshroom," Rosalina breathed, a little excitement jumping in her gut. Captain Toad looked her way with an intrigued stare. "That's… a neat name for it." Rosalina pinched her arm, chuckling awkwardly. _Darnit, keep your mouth shut. This thing wasn't supposed to be built yet!_

_"_We can take you to space!" exclaimed Toadette, throwing the tarp in the air only for Chanterelle to catch it and take it away to be washed. Toadbert raised a finger. "Just one problem." He picked up the blueprint again and pointed to a scribble of tiny handwriting that Rosalina couldn't quite make out.

"We don't have a powerful enough energy source to power this thing," he explained. "Not enough power and we could end up stranded somewhere. Too much and we're mushroom soup." MacToad nodded to confirm.

Rosalina stroked her chin. _Powerful energy source… powerful energy source… Bowser had this machine that could convert lava into energy, but that exploded, didn't it? Oh, wait, it hasn't done that yet._

"Magma converter!" Rosalina's brain didn't think to add context and instantly regretted it. The Toads all turned to her, waiting for an explanation. "Um, what?" Rosalina sighed to herself. _Now I have to explain._

"There's this machine that, um, Bowser used- uses- it turns lava-" she began, but Toadbert's eyes widened as he piped up, "That's right! A geothermal energy generator!" He clapped happily, then proceeded to mutter to himself, "I've had my eyes on that baby for a while now. Wonder if he built it himself."

"So, you think we should- what, rebuild our own?" Chanterelle popped her head back in the room. "We don't have access to lava, only Bowser does." Rosalina went to thinking again.

_Hmm. We don't have access to lava. We could ask Bowser nicely? Nah, I don't think he'd oblige. We only have one other option. The question is: are these little guys up for it?_

"We could-" she started, only to again be interrupted.

"What if we stole it from him?" Toadette suggested, bouncing up and down. Captain Toad stood up from leaning against the wall, his eyebrows raised.

"We can't steal lava," a sleepy Toadzee said. Toadette shot him a look before MacToad spoke.

"We'd have to have the castle plans to find out where he's keeping it." Toadbert shoved his arm.

"Better idea: we could use a heat scanner to find it."

"But the whole place is hot and so is the machine. We'd never find it." Toadbert paused to think, then smiled as he got it. "The machine won't match temperature with the lava; machines require cooldown to remain functional. Therefore, the contrary, my friend." Chanterelle squeezed between the boys, her arms folded. "I think this is a terrible idea. We've had risky adventures, sure, but this? No, we can find another way to power the thing."

Rosalina watched the Toads talk it all out and bicker, hoping they would all come to an agreement. Part of her wanted them to go with the plan, but another part knew that this was never supposed to happen in the timeline. Chanterelle silenced everyone and nagged their leader to give an official answer. Captain Toad took a moment before speaking.

"Crazy plan," he grumbled, shaking his head. Chanterelle nodded. The captain's eyes scanned his friends and stopped when they met Toadette's. Determination burned within her- he could sense it. His eyes flicked upward to Rosalina. "Will you help us?" Rosalina looked at their unfinished machine, then back at them.

_I have to do whatever it takes to fix this mess. I think we can do it._

"Of course," she said.

A grin appeared on Captain Toad's face. "Then I think it's about time the Toad Brigade started a new adventure!" He hollered to the ceiling, his tiny fists raised.

"YAY!" screamed Toadette, hopping up and down.

"Alrighty!" exclaimed MacToad.

"Let's get to work!" declared Toadbert as he grabbed his blueprints.

"Cool, I'll bring the snacks," said Toadzee on his way out of the garage.

"I'ma pass on this one," mumbled Chanterelle, fumbling with her dress. "I like not being roasted, thank you."

Rosalina found herself beaming ear-to-ear. She hadn't been on an exciting adventure in centuries; space gets old after the first few.  
"_Avventura_," she said to herself, feeling her heart pump faster in response.

* * *

_Another day, the girl was playing outside by herself, pretending to be a princess of the stars. The boy approached her and stood on a stump as he cried out, "I'm a black hole, here to gobble up the star princess!" The girl smiled and soon began to play along. "Oh no! Better use my magic!" The two played together all afternoon. When evening struck, the girl's father came to take her to dinner. As he took her hand, the girl turned to ask the boy if he would join them, but he was gone._

* * *

Rosalina dedicated the next day to assisting the Toad Brigade in finishing the building process of the Starshroom. They took metal scraps from the junkyard and melted them, to mold the mixture into one giant metal mushroom. Every so often, Rosalina would notice her fingers drifting underneath her sideswept hair and touching the jagged cracks on her skin, perhaps hoping that in doing so, it would wipe away like dried frosting on a countertop or perhaps still-wet paint on a canvas.

While drilling, painting, and hammering, Rosalina learned about each of the Toads a bit more:

Geastrum Todd was given the rank as Royal Guard Captain after begging for the promotion for days; he is terrified of heights, giant spiders, and birds, and refuses to admit any of that.

MacToad works as both a cartographer and the official treasurer for the Toad Brigade; he likes singing, hardly ever shows signs of stress, and refuses to drink any kind of coffee.

Chanterelle never meant to become the maid and the mail carrier, it just happened one day; she likes fancy jewelry and expensive clothes and for the house to be clean.

Toadbert's head is full of many facts, often useless random knowledge; he is the smartest of the group and isn't afraid to say it out loud; he always acts awkward around Chanterelle- a crush, perhaps.

Toadzee is either eating or sleeping; sometimes he mutters happenings from the future while in a deep slumber.

Recently, Captain Toad let Toadette join the group to work as the archivist after she begged him to; she likes video games and has a hard time containing her emotions.

Since the Mushroom Kingdom had been invaded by giant Chuboombas, the entire Brigade have had their hands full repairing the damage.

All this information Rosalina found to be strange. None of it was right in her mind. The Starshroom wasn't supposed to be built yet. But she accepted it- after all, this was a different timeline than the one she originated from and ruining this one could mean certain death. And not only for her, but the entire universe as well.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_The more damage Rosalina does to a timeline not her own, the more damage she does to herself. Can she hold it together and, with the help of her new allies the Toad Brigade, successfully steal the Magma Converter from the depths of Bowser's Castle?_

I am so tired. Holiday preparations with the family and the seasonal depression has taken a huge toll on me. But I managed to get this chapter a'flowing despite the circumstances, thank God. Tell me how I did!


	9. Hot Heist

Chapter Nine: Hot Heist

_In the peak of the night, the girl heard a tap on her window. She rose from her bed and opened the curtains. The boy stood there, shivering. "Can you take me to see the stars?" he asked her. The girl shook her head. "I can't." And closed the curtains. She snuggled back into her blankets when she heard another tap on the window. She flung open the curtains to find the boy still there. "Please? Just once?" The girl slid on her coat. She was hesitant to leave and yet she felt bubbles of excitement rising within her._

* * *

Rosalina followed Captain Toad and Toadette to Bowser's Castle. The closer they got, the more cautious their steps became. Lava was at every turn and falling in a pocket wouldn't be difficult.

"This was a bad idea," grumbled Captain Toad, kicking a rock. Toadette hopped closer to him. "What was that?" Suddenly flustered, he put on a frown. "I mean, this is a dangerous place and I don't want any of you getting hurt." Toadette rolled her eyes. "Mm-kay."

"Everyone remembers the plan, correct?"

"Correct-" said everyone, only for the captain to interrupt.

"I'm going to repeat it anyway. Toadette, you are going to create a distraction at the front gates. Rosalina and I are going to use that opportunity to climb into a window. Toadbert and MacToad will coach you through everything while speaking to you on the tiny camera thingies."

"_Spore™_," Toadbert corrected over the microphone on the Spore™. "_I have officially named it the Spore™._" Captain Toad dragged his hands down his face. "Okay, whatever. Anyway…" He took a moment to remember where he'd left off.

"Ah, yes. Using the, ugh, Spore™, Rosalina and I will make our way through the castle as stealthily as possible. I will take the opposite direction. We will search for the Magma Converter. It shouldn't take long because of the sensors built into the- the Spore."

"_You forgot the-_" Toadbert started. Captain Toad stomped his foot. "Trademark! Anyway, next we-"

"Yeah, yeah, get the machine thing," Very excited for the adventure ahead, Toadette didn't bother letting him finish. "Now, LET'S GO!" Captain Toad snatched her back before she could speed off. Toadette spun to face him and glared. "What?"

"I-" Captain Toad's face was blank. "Just be careful, please."

* * *

A tall castle built with dark red bricks loomed over them. Multiple flags flaunting King Bowser Koopa's face fluttered within constant puffs of smoke. The three walked up to the front gate, treading quickly as the rocky path burned their soles. Rosalina wiped beads of sweat off her brow. The sweltering heat compelled her to pull her hair back but she resisted.

Captain Toad swung his pack around to remove from it a grapple gun. He handed it to Rosalina. "Ladies first." She pushed up her sweater sleeves before taking it. "Thanks." She rolled the gun around in her hands, inspecting it like she knew exactly what to do. "How do I-" Captain Toad shoved the gun back into his pack and climbed over the bricks aligning the edge of the elevated path.

"Gee!" Toadette screamed, her hands flying to her face.

"I'm fine," he called through gritted teeth. Toadette released her breath. "Oh, you're okay. I knew that."

"Rosalina, hop down!" Captain Toad called. Rosalina peered over the edge where Captain Toad stood on a thin ledge just above boiling lava and felt her insides tighten.

_Ooh, that's really close- really close to the lava. I don't know if I want to do that. I can't even hover right now- what if I fall in?_

"Okay," she said and jumped off the path. _You're stupid, foolish, and going to die._ Captain Toad gave her a slight grin. "Good job." Rosalina nodded for way too long, keeping her eyes on the Toad to prevent looking down.

_Okay, okay. It's just lava. Oh, I really hope I still have my invincibility. _She held her breath as they inched across the skinny platform. _Why did I sign up for this again?_

_"You're doing great_," MacToad's voice encouraged through a tiny mushroom hovering by Rosalina's ear, aka the Spore™. "_Just seven more meters._" Rosalina groaned with a pained smile and continued inching. "Okay, okay."

"I'm scared too," admitted Captain Toad softly. Rosalina stopped. He glanced at her and crossed his arms. "But don't tell anyone!" Rosalina gave him a smile, glad to hear she wasn't the only one. The embarrassed scowl on his face reminded Rosalina of a similar situation.

_"Being scared isn't a bad thing, Cielo," she said to the little green star, who had just admitted he was terrified of the endless sky surrounding them. "Why, the very definition of bravery is conquering your fear. Therefore, one cannot exist without the other. Overcome your fear and become courageous."_

She didn't notice she was quoting herself out loud.

"Wow," Captain Toad marveled. "That's really… I never thought about it that way before." He paused, fiddling with his fingers. "I know I seem pretty brave and uptight, but on the inside, I'm always scared." He stared down at the lava. Rosalina shimmied closer to him to pat his shoulder.

"And despite that fear inside you, you continue to be a great leader," she said, then boldly added, "Maybe someday, you could become Princess Peach's successor and take her place." The captain's face lit up.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Captain Toad opened his mouth to say more, but the Spore™ flying close to his face distracted him.

"_What a lovely conversation_," chipped MacToad. Captain Toad's eyes narrowed at the Spore™.

"Don't make me shoot that thing!" he threatened. Giggles reverberated from it before it flew off. Captain Toad rolled his eyes and continued down the dangerous brick shelf.

Seven meters later, Captain Toad took out the grapple gun and shot the claw through the brick of a window ledge.

"Here," he said, handing Rosalina the gun, "press this button right here." Rosalina pressed a button and shrieked as the gun began to retract the cable, firing her up the wall.

"Woah," she breathed as she watched Captain Toad grow smaller and smaller.

* * *

Toadette stood with her arms crossed, waiting for the signal.

"_Now, Toadette!_" shouted Toadbert from the Spore™. Toadette did a little hop. "Alright!" She ran up to the front entrance to Bowser's Castle. Two large Koopa guards holding hammers the size of their heads snapped alert upon seeing her.

"Hey, what are you-"

"Hello!" she greeted, smiling and gripping the edge of her skirt. She went right to the point. "I'm here to break in!" The guards glanced at each other with smirks on their faces, then shuffled closer to block the door.

"You can't get past us, fubsy!" declared one. "Yeah, so give up! By the way, how's the weather down there?" chuckled the other. They both began to laugh. Toadette rolled her eyes, feeling her cheeks grow hot. _Ugh. Short jokes. _Then a smile crept up her face as she got an idea.

"You must have taken days to walk over here on account of how- how nonexistent your legs are!" the first one spat through a bout of uncontrollable laughter. The other slapped his knees.

"I CAN bust in! I'm not too weak and pathetic and short!" Toadette dragged her voice. The Koopas laughed harder.

"Hey, potato, look in the mirror!"

"She can't because- because she's SO SHORT!" The Koopas wiped tears from their eyes.

"I bet it can't even hold my hammer!" snickered the second. The first's mouth gaped open. He snatched the hammer from his mate and shoved it into Toadette's hands. Toadette lifted the hammer over her head and let gravity take over. The guards were bent over guffawing at her backward arms.

"The little m-marshmallow can't even- can't even-" effused the first before wheezing. With a grunt, Toadette gripped the hammer and swung it back over her head, then slammed it against the side of one Koopa guard. His body flew back and flipped over the side of the wall, falling into lava. Toadette was the one laughing now.

"This little marshmallow knows how to use a hammer!" she remarked. The remaining Koopa guard removed his smile and held up his hammer.

"You're gonna regret that, you scum of the earth-"

Toadette whopped him on the head before he could finish. The guard blinked out of his daze, only to go right back into it when Toadette hit him again.

"_Good work, Toadette_," Toadbert congratulated. "_Now take his clothes._" Toadette removed the helmet, shell, and boots from the unconscious Koopa Troopa.

"I feel so dirty," she muttered as she put on the disguise.

"_I still think this is a bad idea_," opined MacToad from the Brigade house.

"_It has to work!_" Toadbert replied hastily. "_Now, go, Toadette, and remember, don't talk to anyone unless absolutely necessary!_"

"Okay," Koopette replied, then tottered into the castle.

* * *

Rosalina rolled through the open window.

"I'm solo now," she whispered to herself. It felt strange to be alone after having spent hours with a small crowd of eccentric short people. She stood up, brushing carpet fibers off her jeans, and got a good look at the place.

_Hmm. The decor here is a barbaric- stone walls, torches, scratchy carmine carpet, ugly ferns, occasional statue of Bowser. It could use some flowers or perhaps a shelf of some sort full of artistic trinkets- stop getting distracted!_

"Find the Magma Converter. That's what I need to do."

Rosalina made her way down the hall.

"_Psst! Hey!_" The Spore™ whizzed past her ear. "_We've located the Magma Converter. It's on the lowest floor of the castle, neighboring the dungeon._"

"Thanks, guys," Rosalina whispered, then began a search for stairs or, hopefully, an elevator. She found stairs. _Wonderful. Just wonderful._ She took careful steps down, her legs trembling. Once at the top, Rosalina propped against the wall to catch her breath. _Man, I really need to work on my cardio._

"And then I tolds her, I tolds her, 'you better back off, tootz, before I erase your fake eyebrows with ma pencil!"

Rosalina gasped at the grating voice, feeling her heart rate skyrocket, and glanced around for anywhere to hide. She ducked behind a shriveled-up fern and waited for the person to walk off.

"Phew," she sighed in relief when they left. She stood and turned the corner, only to be face-to-face with a lipstick-wearing Koopa. Both Rosalina and Wendy O' Koopa shrieked.

"B-" The dainty Koopa teen began to scream for her master but Rosalina covered her mouth.

"I'm not here to cause any trouble," the latter whispered. Rosalina took out of her pocket a small bag of coins, which she gave to Wendy. Wendy pushed Rosalina away and dug through the bag, then raised a drawn-on eyebrow.

"Mushroom Kingdom coins? You're a dirt-crawler," Wendy commented, her hands on her hips. "Didn't take you for the fungus type." Rosalina held her hand out but Wendy didn't give the money back.

"I don't see a lot of women here," Wendy stated, then quickly added, "Attractive women, anyway." She took out a mirror and adjusted the polka-dot bow atop her head. "So I'm going to let you do your business. You have two minutes."

"Five," Rosalina protested. Wendy began reapplying her lipstick, rubbing on thick layers. "Three." Falteringly, Rosalina took out her favorite lip gloss. Wendy grinned and snapped shut her compactible mirror.

"Five minutes it is." She snatched the lip gloss out of her hand and admired it for a bit. "After that, I cannot vouch for you if you are caught."

"Thank you," Rosalina said and walked past her.

"One more thing, lady," Wendy called. "Better not get caught by the boys. They won't be so easily persuaded."

* * *

Toadette hobbled down the hallway. She was keeping an eye out for a stairwell leading down into the dungeon and with no luck.  
"This shell is heavier than I thought it would be," she huffed, lifting it to yank her skirt up. She continued walking, only to collide with a pair of slender legs.

"Sorry!" cried Rosalina. Toadette hopped to her feet. "Oh, it's al-" She paused, her face blank. Rosalina threw her hair down when she realized what Toadette was staring at.

"What is-"

"Don't want to talk about it," Rosalina shot, then passed her to continue down the hallway. Toadette cocked her head before following her.

"Okay, so do we know where the dungeon is?" she asked. Rosalina sucked her teeth. "… No."

"Where is the Spore?"

"I don't know, but if I had to guess they're trying to find the dungeon, too."

"_We are_." Toadbert's voice startled the girls. The Spore™ hovered above them. "_It's underneath you. But we can't find the entrance._" He paused. "_By the way, there are guards coming down this way. Might wanna hide-_"

"HEY!"

"_Sorry, warned you too late._"

Toadette shook her fist at the Spore™, then turned to face a group of guards. Rosalina glanced over her shoulder. _If we run, we risk bumping into more guards. Wait. What if we get caught on purpose?_

"'Ey! What's going on over here?!" screamed the main guard, his blue mohawk hopping up and down with his body. "I don't recognize yous. Yous must be intruders, then!" Toadette fumbled with her disguise. "No, of course n-" Rosalina cleared her throat and Toadette shut up.

"_That one's Lemmy, I think_," MacToad said in the latter's ear, "_no, Iggy? Or… I don't know, there's, like, nine of them._" The guard leader leaned in close to Toadette's face. She swallowed. _This disguise better work._

_"_What's your name, soldier?" he grumbled. Toadette stepped back from the guard's hot breath, not taking her eyes off him. _I need a name. Need a name. Uh..._

"_Larry!_" answered the Spore™.

"I'm pretty sure his name is Larry," she whispered back. Larry frowned. "I didn't ask for my name. I asked for yours."

"_Koopette!_" the Spore™ called. Toadette shook her head. _That sounds lame. Ooh, here's a name I've always wanted!_

"My name is… Susan… Susan Shellington."

"_Are you kidding?_" Toadbert cried, "_That's the name of my dentist_-" Toadette flicked the Spore™ out of her ear. Larry's face didn't budge.

"And what is your job, Susan Shellington?"

Toadette took a quick glimpse at Rosalina behind her, who shrugged. "Uh, to… to guard the hallway?" Larry yanked her into his face by her shell. Her breath stuck in her throat, Toadette used all her muscles to prevent sliding out of it.

"Your job is to make sure intruders don't infil- infilte- break in Lord Bowser's castle," he said. Toadette nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir, I know, sir." Larry set her down and pointed a finger at Rosalina. "So why is there an intruder behind you? Yous not a spy, is you?" He jabbed Toadette's shell. "Yous not some fat baby diaper Toad wearing a disguise?" Toadette became suddenly aware of how fast her heartbeat was. A small part of her wanted to correct Larry. _They're not diapers, they're pants accommodated to fit us small-legged creatures._

"Ehehe... well- uh, you know Toads are stupid. They couldn't possibly be smart enough to come up with a plan as smart as a disguise."

"Ain't that the truth," Larry snickered. His eyes drifted behind Toadette, catching Rosalina backing away. He snapped his fingers and his guards darted over there to seize her. He turned back to Toadette.

"So, you caught this intruder?" Toadette flashed Rosalina an apologetic wince. "Uh, yeah. I found her snooping around." Larry smiled and slapped her shoulder. "Good on you, Susie! I might give you a raise. Might. Now, c'mon! Let's all go escort this filthy intruder to da dungeon!" Toadette scratched her arm.

"I- I can take her myself," she said, then shrank when Larry's smile vanished. "I mean, I'm sure you're busy and it'll just take a load off you if I do this myself-"

"Bah!" cried he. "I'm coming with!"

* * *

Reluctant to oblige, Susan Shellington followed Larry and his guards down the hallway.

_At least we'll find the dungeon_, she thought. _I just hope Rosalina can bust out by herself. I'm not sure how much longer this disguise will work-_

"I'm just so bored, patrolling the hallways," Larry interrupted her thought process. "Just between you and me, I thinks D- um, Lord Bowser should have assigned me a better job. I don't get paid enough to walk all day long. It's exhausting." Toadette nodded, then decided to get back on track.

"Which way is the dungeon again?" Larry chuckled. "I'll lead the way. Don't feel bad, Susie, I get lost sometimes in here, too." He tensed up. "But don't tell the guys that!"

* * *

Larry came to a large oil-painted portrait of Bowser's mom and winked before pulling the frame. The painting turned out to be a door concealing a dark staircase.

"The dungeon," breathed Toadette.

"Stairs," sighed Rosalina. Larry hopped down five steps and called, "MORTON!" The ground shook. Thuds grew closer and louder until a tall and husky Koopa stopped in front of Larry.

"WHAT, LARRY?!" Morton screamed even though Larry was right there. "YA KNOW I'M BUSY!" Larry shot a finger. "Don't you be acting rude to me! Or I'll report it to Lord Bowser!" Morton raised his hands. "OKAY, OKAY!" He huffed, then monotoned, "How may I be of assistance?" Larry grabbed Rosalina's arm.

"Take this intruder to da slammer," he said. Morton frowned. "Why can't ya do it yaself?" Larry ran his hands through his hair.

"Yous the dungeon master. It's YOUR JOB!"

"WHY YA-" Morton opened his big mouth to scream something back, but paused when he noticed the intruder. "Uh…" He leaned close to Larry. "Who is that?" Larry stomped his foot. "THAT'S DA INTRUDER!" Morton's eyes shifted back and forth between Larry and Rosalina. "Ya sure? Look at her, she's way too pretty and fragile to cause trouble." Rosalina scowled but wiped it away when Morton stepped close.

"Did ya fall from Heaven and get lost, angel?" he simpered, perking up his eyebrows. "Cuz ya is a WHOLE SNACK!" Morton wiggled his fingers, then used them to swipe Rosalina's hair out of her face. She slammed a fist into his nose. "OW!" His arms quivered with anger.

"ALRIGHTY THEN, YA'VE CHOSEN DUNGEON OVER ME!" he bellowed, gripping her arm and yanking her down the steps. Toadette tried to follow but Larry stopped her with an arm.

"No need to go down there, Susie. It's a little scary, especially for a Koopa lady like you. Now let's go back to our post." Toadette watched Rosalina and Morton descend into the dungeon. Sorry, she mouthed. Larry tapped his foot.

"I'm hungry. Do you want to go to the catef- cafener- catefer- the lunchroom?" Toadette did not want to anger this guy. "Uh… okay."

* * *

"THERE YA GO! THE NICEST ROOM WE HAVE!" exclaimed Morton as he tossed Rosalina into a pretty pink room. He slammed shut the barred door, grumbling to himself, "The prettiest girls are always the hardest to get." He slumped into a chair in the corner and picked up a magazine next to it. Rosalina sat down on the queen-sized bed, scanning her surroundings. The room's stone walls had been painted pink with red hearts, while the stone floor remained untouched. She got up and pulled her hair back in the vanity mirror to inspect her face.

"It's getting worse," she mumbled. The cracks had spread to her jaw and under her right eye. She took some makeup from the drawer. _This could cover it._ She covered the cracks with concealer- they faintly glowed underneath.

"It will have to do," she sighed.

"_Are you okay?_" In the mirror, Rosalina caught the Spore™ hovering behind her.

"I'm fine," she replied, drawing in her arms. _Not really, but I'll manage._

"_You're really close to the machine. Maybe you can try to find a loose rock somewhere._"

Rosalina ran her hands across every stone in the room. One large stone just above the bed wiggled when she touched it. She tore it out of the wall and revealed a small crevice with a book crammed inside.

"What's this?" she murmured as she opened the book and flipped through the pages. Her breath caught in her throat. _This is Mom's handwriting_. She dropped the book on the pillow, her hands feeling dirty all of a sudden. But curiosity got the best of her and she picked the book back up. She ran her fingers across the leather.

"I shouldn't," she told herself. She opened the book and read the first page.

**I hate that awful King Koopa! He certainly doesn't know how to treat a lady yanking me in here like that! I don't know how I'm going to get out of here. All my people have been turned into bricks. Is there no hope for me or the Mushroom Kingdom? No, be positive about your situation. Someone will come for me. Maybe he missed someone. Yeah, maybe he did. They're coming for me right now, I reckon. All I have to do is wait.**

_Bowser must have kept her here when he kidnapped her_, concluded Rosalina. She kept reading.

**I heard one of his sentries tell him that a hairy man is coming to try and save me! I don't know any hairy men, though. Toadsworth? No, can't be. He was turned to stone right before my eyes.**

_Oh, dear, that must have been hard for her. I never met Toadsworth. I wonder what kind of person he was._

**Bowser brought me food finally. At least he won't let his prisoners starve. I hope my Kingdom is okay. He better not be wrecking it. Yeah, I overheard his name. "Bowser". Such an evil name for an evil man.**

**This is really difficult to write. I struck up a conversation with one of the guards and managed to convince him to let me out. When you're a pretty lady, persuasion comes easy. However, escaping I found to be quite difficult. I was almost out until one of the Koopa Kids spotted me. I ran away, only to bump into a Magikoopa. He sent me back here and put magic cuffs on my wrists.**

Rosalina turned the page.

**I can't believe I'm back here again. Why can't Bowser just give up? I guess he wants another spanking from my amazing hero, Mario! He'll come for me again, I know it!**

**This is the fourth time Bowser has taken me. I don't know what drives this man. One thing to note, though, is that he has been acting nicer towards me. He gave me a nice breakfast, and some makeup, and this new pen I'm using currently. Maybe Bowser isn't as evil as I thought.**

Rosalina caught herself smiling. He's a big ole softie in my time. Her smile faded when she turned the page.

**I'm shaking as I write, so forgive me for the awful handwriting. I'm just so- words can't describe how I'm feeling right now. That lowlife scum, King Bowser Koopa, just tried to rape me! His royal advisor, Kamek, put magic cuffs on my wrists and ankles, leaving me defenseless! I feel so violated right now! I hope Mario gives that Bowser a real beating! So bad that he never comes back- no, so bad that he is physically incapable of kidnapping anyone ever again!**

"I didn't know he did that," Rosalina whispered into her hand. _I knew he did some evil things in the past, but Mom never told me about that._ She took a breath and turned the page, not knowing how to feel.

**I eavesdropped on a conversation. They're moving me to a different cell. I hope the next one is nicer. I can't stand the roaches and the colors of this ghastly wallpaper don't even match! Mario's going to save me. I know it. Last time he brought along a friend. Looked just like him, only taller and thinner. A relative, no doubt. I never caught his name. He seems nice. Very quiet, though. He didn't speak to me, only stared. Maybe he can't talk?**

Closing the book, Rosalina hugged herself to get rid of the empty feeling growing inside. The memories of her mother sat fractured in the recesses of her brain; she couldn't remember her well since it had been too long. But she could never forget the gentle hands guiding her tiny ones as they piped the frosting on the sugar cookies- or the brush stroking her hair flat in the mornings.

_I abandoned her_, she thought sadly. _I wish I could go back. Just one more time. But I know I can't do that. I made my choice when I left for space all those centuries ago._

She shook herself back into reality.

"How do you suppose I get out of here?" she asked the Spore™.

"_I think you should do what the princess did in that book_," MacToad replied after a pause. Rosalina skimmed the book, then frowned. "Oh, no. I don't want to-"

"_We can't find any other options. Go for it._" The tiny machine flew through the bars. "_I'm going to find Toadette. She will find the Magma Converter. Then both of you will take it out of here. Good luck._" It whizzed up the stairs. Rosalina sighed and glanced at Morton who was asleep in his chair.

_Let's do this._

Reaching around the bars, she jiggled the rusty lock on the cell gate. Morton rolled to his side. Rosalina took some lipsticks from the makeup drawer and tossed them onto Morton's head. The lipsticks rolled off as he stood up with a yawn. He stomped over to Rosalina.

"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!" he hollered. Rosalina fought back a cringe for what she was about to do.

"Oh! This cell is awful! Please let me out!" She jutted out her lip and clutched the bars, faking a sad expression. Morton crossed his arms.

"Can't do that, princess."

Rosalina pinched the back of her thigh, blinking tears out of her eyes. Morton's face flashed a look of concern.

"Cry all ya want. It's what ya get for snooping around and rejecting me," he shot, whirling away. Rosalina stuck her arm through the gate to creep her fingers across Morton's neck. He shivered, then pivoted to yell in her face, "DON'T DO THAT!" She forced a grin and fluttered her eyelashes.

"Let me out, Morton… I might have something to give you in return."

Morton tapped his claws together. "N-no, I can't do that." Rosalina swept her hands around Morton's face.

"You know you want it…" she honeyed. "I'm not wearing anything under this."

"NO!" Morton screamed, turning away from her touch. "I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO INTERACT WITH THE PRISONERS!"

"Why? I'm not dangerous. After all, a pretty and fragile girl like me couldn't possibly cause trouble." Morton stomped his foot and let out a cry of frustration.

"FINE!" he gave in to her seduction. He unlocked the gate and grabbed her hand, whispering, "Stay behind me and don't say anything." Rosalina nodded.

_I hope I can escape in time._

* * *

Morton pulled Rosalina down the hallway, the latter letting him but only because she was on the lookout for Toadette. Along the way, they passed a lone Koopa. Morton stopped. The Koopa, completely butt-naked, brought his hands over his legs to somewhat preserve his modesty.

"HEY!" screamed Morton, "SHOW SOME RESPECT!" He glanced at Rosalina and covered her face with a giant hand.

"Sorry, Morton, sir, but an intruder snatched my shell and helmet and boots!" explained the Koopa as he fought back the blood rushing to his cheeks. Morton's eyes narrowed.

"What did the intruder look like?"

"A fat little pink Toad girl. Wearing a skirt- pink, it was pink- with a black Fire Flower T-shirt." Morton turned to Rosalina, who was biting her lip.

"Ya seen anything, babycakes?"

She quickly shook her head. "Oh, nonono, I haven't seen anything. Why would I pair up with a dumb Toad?" Morton grunted. "Kay." He jabbed a finger at the bare Koopa.

"Until we find this intruder, PUT SOME DRAWERS ON, KYLE!"

"Yessir," said Kyle, raising one hand to salute then yanking it back and mumbling, "Oh, dear."

* * *

"And then I said, I said, 'That shells's too big for you!' and then my cousin's sister's boyfriend slapped her and then my cousin jumped in and this huge brawl happened. Ha, it was so funny."

Toadette lifted up the blackened pizza slice with a grimace on her face. _There's no way I am eating this._ Larry horked down several slices, then licked his claws.

"_Ask him about the Magma Converter_," Toadbert spoke through the Spore™ in Toadette's ear.

"So, uh, have you seen the Magma Converter?" Larry finished chewing before replying. "Not seent it exactly, but I know where it is. It's pretty lit, turning lava into energy. Who needs solar panels, right? Why do you ask?" Toadette bit the crispy pizza as an opportunity to think of something to say and grimaced. _Yuck. I don't know what's in that pizza, but it tastes like shit!_

"I... am interested in how it works. Could you take me to see it?"

"I would, but I'm kinda not allowed down there." Toadette paused. "Do you know who is?"

"What do you even wanna do down there, anyway? It's dangerous." Toadette tapped her finger on the table. _Come on, tell him something._

"I want to... to see about making some upgrades?" Larry raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yous have to talk to Lord Bowser first. You don't wanna get fired, do you?"

"Not if he doesn't know," Toadette took a risk. _Don't screw up now, we've come so far!_

"Yous a rebellious type, I see. What upgrades you talking about?"

Toadette stirred her drink with the straw. "I could rebuild it to be more energy-efficient. Lord Bowser would never run out of lava then. Of course, I'd have to see the machine first. I could draw a blueprint, then present it to Lord Bows-"

"What a cool idea, Susie!" exclaimed Larry, bolting up from his seat. "We could get raises for this idea! Let's go!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her off her butt.

_And we're off again_, Toadette thought bitterly. _At least we're on track._

* * *

Pinup posters were scattered all across Morton's room walls, along with a Striker teams calendar for last year. A small bed with a yellow stain in the center of the sheet sat in the far corner.

"WELCOME TO MA ROOM!"

Rosalina's nose crinkled.

_This was a terrible idea. A horrible, awful, terrible idea. Think, Rosalina. How do I get out of this situation?_

"Uh… why don't you turn around so I can get ready?" she tried. Morton hopped in place, covering his mouth with his hands to stifle a giggle, then pivoted to face the door.

"I told you I'd have a real girl in here, Iggy!" he whispered. Rosalina pulled off her sweater, tied it around her waist, and adjusted the black T-shirt sticking to her sweaty skin. She glanced around the room for a blunt object. _Come on, come on- aha!_ She picked up a metal bat from underneath the bed and rolled it in her hands. _This will do. Now to take him out._ Rosalina approached him slowly. She tightened her grip on the bat, reared it over her shoulder, then smacked the back of Morton's head.

"OW!"

To Rosalina's disappointment, Morton did not conk out.

"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!" he bellowed, whirling and looming over her with a scowl. Rosalina had two seconds to think of a lie.

"There was a bug on you!" Morton shrilled and flailed about, freaking out over nothing. "AH! DIDYA GET IT?!" Rosalina raises the bat. _Let's try this again._

"Oh, dear, it's on your head!"

"GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" Rosalina swung the bat across his face as hard as she could. Morton spun on his heel and crashed into his dresser. Rosalina dropped the bat, exhaling in relief.

"Sorry, big guy," she muttered on her way out.

* * *

Lavafalls crashed down on both sides of a narrow brick bridge. At the end of the bridge, a cubed machine churned molten lava through magic pipes, converting it into energy to power Bowser's castle. Toadette felt her sweat trickling down the inside of the Koopa shell and longed to take it off.

"Welcome to the Magma Converter!" Larry declared, throwing his arms up. Feeling dizzy, Toadette resisted the urge to throw her helmet off. A lanky Koopa sat on the edge of the bridge with one leg crossed over the over, watching with a huge grin on his face as the marshmallow on the tip of the spear he was holding roasted over the lava. Larry saw him and scowled.

"IGGY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING DOWN HERE?! DON'TCHA KNOWS YOUS WILL GET IN TROUBLE BEING DOWN HERE?!" Iggy twirled the spear to slide the blackened marshmallow past his teeth. He licked his gums before speaking.

"Don't you know you will also get in trouble being down here?" He stood up and towered over Larry. "Plus, uh, I'm older than you."

"THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING!" Larry hollered. Iggy kept the smug grin on his face.

"Lord Bowser's going to dock your paychecks," he said. Larry clenched his fists, glaring. "Howsabout I dock YOUR FACE?" He slapped Iggy on the cheek. Iggy's smile didn't budge.

"You hit like a Toad," he commented, smoothing his tall green sprig of hair. Larry screamed and tackled him to the ground, throwing tiny punches at his chest. Toadette darted past them. The Spore™ hovered behind her and scanned the Magma Converter.

"_You'll need Captain Toad's tools to remove this kind of hardware_," Toadbert said. "_We'll notify him and send him down here._" Toadette shook her head and cracked her knuckles. "Nah. I'll get it out myself. Bring skinny girl down here, she can help me get this outside."

"_But Toadette, that wasn't the plan_-"

"Let me do something for once," she shot with a stomp of her foot. "Captain Toad doesn't let me do anything." She heard a sigh. "_Fine. We'll find Rosalina. But be careful down here, you don't know how long those Koopa Kids will be fighting each other._" She clapped her hands together. "Thanks, guys." She reached into the hot shell still on her back and took out the Koopa's hammer.

* * *

In the process of speeding down the hallway, Rosalina bumped into a Koopa, knocking a stack of papers out of his hands.

"Sorry," she said and picked up the papers, on which was barely legible sheet music. The Koopa fluffed his crazy blue hair, a huge smile spreading across his face.

"An intruder!" he giggled. "I have been in need of a proper test subject for my inventions!" Rosalina threw him his papers and darted away. The Koopa ran after her, cackling maniacally.

"_Rosalina, Toadette found the Magma Converter and needs your help_," Toadbert said through the Spore™ that whizzed by her arm. She turned a corner and squeezed behind a vending machine. She waited for the kooky Koopa to pass before replying to Toadbert, "Lead me to her."

* * *

Toadette swung the hammer head into one of the pipes connecting to the Magma Converter, creating a loud clunk. Iggy and Larry stopped tussling and jumped to their feet.

"Susie, I thought yous gonna ask Lord Bowser first!" Larry said, approaching her. Toadette ignored him and swung again. He grabbed her shell and she slithered out of it. Along with the shell, Larry's jaw dropped. "Susie?" Toadette shook her pigtails.

"Nope. The name's Toadette," she said, holding out a hand. Larry frowned. "I thought you were…" His frown faded as he trailed off. Toadette's face blanked. _He wanted a friend. My disguise worked too well._

"INTRUDER!" Iggy screeched, whipping out his wand. Toadette raised her hammer.

"Try me, bitch."

Iggy's face twisted into an evil scowl. Rosalina darted down the bridge, joining Toadette at the end of it. Iggy and Larry glanced back and forth at the girls.

"You _were_ working with her," Larry snapped at Toadette. His fists trembled. "I's gonna hafta fight yous." Everyone turned at a sudden fit of laughter from the archway.

"Ludwig Von Koopa is here to join the party!" laughed he, waving his wand like a baton. Iggy crinkled his nose. "Not Kooky…" A tiny Koopa with a rainbow-colored mohawk stepped out from behind Ludwig, gripping his wand with two hands. Iggy groaned. "Not Lemmy, too…"

"What should we do about these intruders, guys?" asked Larry. Morton stomped in behind Ludwig.

"I say… WE SMASH 'EM!" He punched his palm with a hearty chuckle. The Koopa Kids took battle stances, holding out their wands that now sparkled. Toadette's grip on her hammer failed.

"There's way too many of these guys," she whispered to Rosalina, who tightened her lips.

"Then we'll take defense," Rosalina replied. She whirled to the quivering lava machine and shut her eyes.

_Focus. Concentrate._

She imagined the machine lifting out of its restraints. Her fingers tingled and she balled them up. She opened her eyes. The Magma Converter hovered above her in a flickering blue bubble. _I did it._ Toadette gawked. "I didn't know you could do that!" The Koopa Kids widened their eyes at her magic. Rosalina smiled, then grimaced when she felt a distant throb pulsate at the front of her head.

"Attack!" declared Iggy. Lemmy waved his wand and sent a wave of colorful balls bouncing down the path. Morton sent a huge metal spike-covered ball rolling. The spikeball smashed all the bouncing ones and Lemmy stomped his foot and shot a glare at Morton. "You crushed my balls!" Morton cracked a smile. Ludwig spun on his heel and shot blue sparks in Toadette and Rosalina's direction. Iggy stuck his head and extremities inside his shell and sent it spinning toward them.

"Jump!" Toadette yelled. Rosalina blinked away her pain. The girls hopped over Iggy's shell and Ludwig's sparks. Morton growled and spawned two spikeballs above the lava. They smacked the surface of the lava pools and splashed hot lava and shrapnel everywhere as it exploded. Toadette shrieked and jumped back, her hand jerking to grab her arm but recoiling.

"Are you okay?" Rosalina shouted. Toadette's eyes widened at the charred hole in her arm.

"No, I'm not okay," she whimpered through gritted teeth, her face pale. Larry's wand fired a single spark of magic that zigzagged its way toward the girls.

"I gotcha," Rosalina said and picked up Toadette to hop over the spark. Toadette jumped out of Rosalina's arms and ground-pounded Larry's head. He yelped, then rubbed his hair with a scowl.

"Take this!" he cried, popping into his shell and sending it spiraling. Rosalina grabbed Toadette but tripped over Larry's shell. Her magic bubble fizzled away, dropping the Magma Converter out of the air. Rosalina rolled over to avoid the searing hot machine crashing to the ground. With her good hand, Toadette threw her hammer into Iggy's face before he slunk into his shell. Rosalina tried to stand but a bouncy ball to the face knocked her down. The Spore™ flew in.

"_We're getting Captain Toad_," MacToad said. The Spore™ zipped away before anyone could interject. Rosalina finally got to her feet. The Koopa Kids raised their wands, preparing for another round. Rosalina squeezed her fists and focused on what little power she had left. The world doubled and blurred before her eyes.

"HEY!"

"PUT US DOWN!"

She'd enclosed every Koopa in the room inside a magic bubble. They kicked and thrashed, then stopped as they floated close to the lava. Toadette chuckled weakly. "That's awesome." Rosalina scooped her up.

"Time to-" she said, stopping when she realized they still had to get the machine. "_Merda_." She set Toadette down.

"What the hell's going on here?"

"Just in time, Gee!" exclaimed Toadette as she slapped a hand over her burn. Rosalina grabbed the machine then yanked her hands back. "Hot!" Captain Toad dug into his pack and threw her some gloves. Both he and Rosalina lifted the bulky machine. Their arms trembled as they carried the Magma Converter out of Bowser's Castle.

When they left, the Koopa Kids popped out of their bubbles.

"Damn," cursed Iggy, clutching his wand tightly. Lemmy cocked his head. "Should we tell Bowser about this?"

"NO!" everyone yelled.

"We'll lose our jobs if we do," whimpered Larry.

"We've already lost our jobs." The boys turned to find Wendy in the archway filing her claws and groaned.

"You ratted us out, didn'tcha Cutiepie?" Larry accused. She looked up.

"Oh, no, I didn't. But I would have loved to see the old man's face. No, I signed us up for a business offer. A new job working for someone else." Iggy squinted. "And you didn't ask us first, why?"

"Because," she grinned, "this guy's offering more money than Bowser gives us in a year." The boys glanced at each other, then copied her grin.

"Well, what are wes waiting for?"

* * *

Rosalina sat on the porch swing next to Toadette, who gulped down a cup of cold water. Toadbert and MacToad were building the Magma Converter into the bottom of the Starshroom. Chanterelle leaned against the mailbox with a pitcher.

"That was stupid," Captain Toad grumbled as he paced the lawn. "I knew I shouldn't have been back-up. We should have come up with a better plan." He shook his head. "If it weren't for that stupid plan, Toadette wouldn't have gotten hurt." Toadette glanced at her wrapped-up arm sitting in the sling; the cast was covered in pink marker doodles from Toadzee.

"I'm fine," she said. "The healing mushroom closed up the exposed bone. It just stings a bit now." Captain Toad didn't stop pacing. "It should have been me." Toadette hopped up.

"I said I'm fine, Gee!" she insisted, raising her voice. He climbed onto the porch and crossed his arms. "And what if you weren't"?

"We did what we had to do to get the thing! I'll be fine!" Captain Toad's eyes narrowed and his lips pinched like he had eaten something sour.

"You aren't going on any more adventures," he said. Toadette's mouth hung open.

"What? You-you can't do that!" He didn't flinch.

"I can," he snapped, "because I'M THE CAPTAIN!" Toadette screamed like a stubborn teen and rushed into the house. Her cry startled Zee from his slumber in the lawn chair but he drifted back to sleep within two seconds. Captain Toad plopped onto the porch step with a huff.

"Don't you think you were a little too harsh on her?" queried Chanterelle as she slid next to him.

"You didn't see it," he growled, his eyes gleaming with a faraway look. Chanterelle frowned.

"I had to patch up the wound, Geastrum, I saw the damage plenty!" she snapped. He shook his head and she let her shoulders fall with a sigh. "I'm just saying you shouldn't hold her back from her dreams because you can't stand to see her hurt." He kept quiet. Chanterelle put her hand on his shoulder. "We all care about Toadette. But, captain or not, you won't be able to stop her from adventuring again. You might as well be on her side." It was the captain's turn to walk away. Chanterelle got up to take her water pitcher back to the kitchen.

Now alone on the porch swing, Rosalina sighed.

"What have I done?" she mumbled, thinking out loud. Mackie stripped off his gloves and sat next to her.

"It's not your fault, Rosalina. Those three fight all the time. They'll get over it, life will go on, and Toadette will not stop getting herself in trouble." He put on a tiny grin but took it away when Rosalina didn't look up.

"If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have gotten hurt," she said.

"Now you're thinking like the captain," Chanterelle said from behind her. "You can't put the blame on yourself. Toadette knew the risks of infiltrating Bowser's castle and went anyway. Besides, she'll heal. There will be a nasty scar, but not even a lava burn will stop Toadette from adventure." She snorted halfheartedly. "And that's what Captain Todd has a hard time understanding." Mackie nodded in agreement before she went back into the house. Rosalina buried her face in her hands, going into her thoughts.

_They don't understand. This is all my fault. If it weren't for that bad guy, I'd still be in my Observatory not making such huge changes to this timeline._

Then she perked up.

"We can go back to my Observatory with the Starshroom once you guys finish it," she said her thoughts aloud. "We can go after this bad guy." Toadbert peeked out from inside the spacecraft.

"Well, yeah, but we Toads aren't exactly built for battle," he replied. "Our Brigade isn't big enough to take on a supervillain yet." Rosalina tapped her chin.

"Where's Mario and Luigi?"

"On a quest with the princess. I don't know the details. Why? You think they'll be able to beat your baddie?" Rosalina caught a smile on her face as she felt a spark of determination. _Absolutely._

"With their help, anything is possible. All we have to do is wait for them to return."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Now that the Starshroom is all ready to go, all Rosalina and the Toad Brigade have to do is wait for Luigi to get back. But what is Luigi up to? In the next chapter!_

Happy Holidays, my readers! I actually hate how long this chapter turned out to be, but think of it as a holiday special. Anyway, we will see just what Luigi and his friends are up to in the next chapter!


	10. Fuzzy Forest

Chapter Ten: Fuzzy Forest

Luigi sat down in his armchair, feeling its feverous comfort send tingles of warmth to his nerve endings. The living room he sat in was almost unfamiliar- it's been so long since he'd stepped foot in his other house. Apart from some dust and occasional splats of ectoplasm, the place had remained tidy since his absence.

His eyes drifted downward, staring with an unfocused gaze at his red-and-white socks; slowly drooping shut.

"No!" he said aloud and stood up to shake himself awake. _Can't fall asleep right now. _He slapped his cheek, feeling a stinging throb that snapped his senses awake. He went over to his couch, where Mario, snoring and mumbling soft nonsense, was splayed across it. Luigi gave his sleeping brother a gentle stroke on the arm.

"You drive me crazy, Mario," he said. Luigi leaned in close, preparing for a kiss but hesitating. He sat down cross-legged instead.

"This is all my fault," Luigi thought out loud. "I got everyone into this mess." Luigi blinked a hot tear away and watched it sink into Mario's skin. "I can't stop thinking about what you said. Maybe Papa was right about me. He always said I wasn't meant to exist." The rest of his tears that came he wiped off his face, ignoring the itchy feeling on the pale burn mark still on his palm. "I wonder sometimes what things would be like today if Mama didn't…" Luigi stopped to shake his head and sigh. "Nobody understood me like she did. Not you, not Papa." He pushed the memories of their mother to the back of his brain where they were before. A new thought popped up:

_What if Kamek had killed me those two decades ago?_

He pushed back those memories, too- of darkness and hunger and extreme heat. Kamek had wanted him to die there in that little bundle of cloth. _What kept me alive? _He answered his own question: _The feeling of your twin brother breathing many miles away and the hope that he continues._

Something icy cold rubbed his arm and he whirled to find a ghost. He bolted upright in surprise.

"Oh," he said when he got a good look at the thing, "It's just you." The Polterpup sat at his feet wagging its tail. Luigi sat back down and gave his dog a good pet, watching in awe as his fingers touched nothing but felt fluffy and wet fur. A smile of pride spread across his face.

"You always know when to show up, Bravo," he gushed. He turned back to Mario, his smile faltering. Bravo sniffed Mario and cocked his head.

Luigi heard wispy barks colliding with sharp whispers and shivered, as it was only in his head. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the words- the Polterpup was trying to communicate.

"You're saying… _am I gay_?" he tried. Bravo shook his head. Luigi was still learning.

"_Do I wear grey?_" Still no.

Luigi face-palmed when he heard it. "Oh… you're asking if Mario's okay." Bravo nodded and wagged his tail. Luigi pet him again, turning back to his brother. "I really hope so, Bravo." He sighed. "I really hope so." His head drooped to his chest as sleep pulled him away from reality again. He gave in this time.

_Luigi opened his eyes and was surrounded by a deep blue._

"_Not this again!" he tried to scream, but the water rushed down his windpipe. He swallowed and spluttered, feeling his lungs fill up with lake. He tried to tread water, thrashing and kicking his legs, but his body grew heavier; descended deeper. As the blue faded to black, frigid hands on his face caused him to shiver. The cold sank into his skin down into his nerve endings. Then he took a deep inhale and let a scream finally escape._

"Aw, gross!" Luigi exclaimed, pushing Bravo's face off and wiping the ectoplasm spit off his own face. Bravo growled at the window.

"Weird dog," Luigi muttered.

_Weird dream, too_, he thought. _Saw that thrice now. Maybe I should mention this to my therapist- no. I should be talking to E. Gadd. I lost his machine._

He stood up and grabbed his DS off his desk. _My mental health can wait._

"Okay. I'm going to call Professor E. Gadd and tell him that I lost his Poltergust 5000." He took a deep breath. _I don't want to do this, but I have to._ He pressed the call button and waited. _Maybe he's busy-_

"Luigi, my boy! Didja find your brother?" Luigi nearly dropped the DS. The old professor was in his lab, hunched over a microscope.

"Yes. Yes, I did," Luigi replied, his voice muffled due to the yawn he forced out of his nose.

"Good, good. Say…" E. Gadd wagged his finger. Luigi's lips pinched.

_Oh, here it comes._

"You do still have the Poltergust with you, right? I didn't see you exit that mansion with it."

_Please don't be mad at me!_

"I, uh… I left it in there," Luigi hesitated with a grimace. E. Gadd's face blanked like he didn't understand the statement. Then he sighed and placed a finger on the center of his glasses.

"That's- that's okay, Luigi," he said, his tone failing to cover his aggravation. "Uh, you- you had to save your brother and- that-that's what matters most." He forced a tiny grin. "And anyway, I've been working on a new Poltergust for you. So it's not-not that big of a deal." He tugged the sleeve of his lab coat.

"Anyway…" he changed the subject to rid the two of them of this awkward moment, "what's new?" Luigi ran a hand through his hair, sucking his teeth.

"A lot, actually." E. Gadd briefly left the screen to grab a drink.

"I'm listening," he said through the straw. Luigi sighed. _Alright. At least I have something else to do instead of sleep._

* * *

**A few hours ago…**

"Where are we going?" whined Mario as he trudged behind his little brother. Luigi groaned. It pained him to see his brother acting like this- it was way out of character. But what could they do? Hit him again and hope for the best? Luigi wanted to hit him for how annoying he was becoming as if Mario wasn't already annoying before.

"I already told you, Mount Kuromahu," Luigi answered. From the middle of the group, Daisy shook her head.

"I still think this is a bad idea."

"Like it or not, it must be done," Peach said promptly from the front, raising a finger. She adjusted the beanie and old jacket she wore as a disguise. Daisy sighed like a spoiled teen. Mario whined something again, but Luigi was too busy thinking and examining the scenery to respond.

The town was quiet- too quiet. Old folks stopped to stared as they walked past. The beaten weathered shops looked like the perfect buildings for a ghost family to haunt. Luigi pulled his brown jacket closer to him. _If there are ghosts here, we're screwed. I lost the Poltergust._

"What happened here?" Daisy asked Peach, keeping her voice low as to not offend any passerby.

"I do not know the details," Peach answered after stopping herself from staring at a homeless Koopa sleeping in his shell, "but here's my opinion: since the death of this town's founder, the new mayor got lazy with the tourist attractions and stopped speaking to his citizens. He's locked himself away in his office built within Mount Kuromahu. Without a proper leader, everything's dying."

"I'm hungry," Mario said. Luigi groaned.

Peach stepped into a rather spacious bar with Luigi, Daisy, and Mario on her heels. A few patrons turned to stare at the newcomers. Peach pulled her jacket closer to her body and tucked her hair as neatly as possible into her dark beanie. _Wouldn't want to get kidnapped here_, she'd thought as she'd put on the disguise.

"So we just walk up to somebody and ask them if we can steal the thing?" Daisy asked in a deadpan tone. Luigi scanned the environment, feeling his heartrate increase. _These guys look scary._ He caught the gaze of a Boom Boom and tore his eyes away before he caused himself an injury. _He could snap my spine like a glow stick. _If it weren't for his fear, Luigi would have fallen asleep from the dim, cozy lighting of the place.

"Why did we go to a bar?" Daisy asked another question, then huffed as Peach strode deeper into the building without another word. Daisy wondered if Peach had ever drank before. Luigi was perfectly fine standing in the doorway until Mario decided to skip further into the building.

"Mario!" Luigi hissed and ran after his brother. Mario slid into a barstool with a big smile on his face.

"_Ciao_," he waved at the guy sitting next to him. The Dry Bones turned with a frown, his eyes glowing yellow, and growled, "What did you just call me, punk?" Luigi grabbed Mario's shoulders.

"He said hello," Luigi forced words out of his mouth as he looked the angry Dry Bones in the eye. The skeleton's eyebrows raised.

"Oh," he mumbled, "I don't know Spanish."

"It's not-" Luigi started, then stopped himself. _Don't want to get beat up today._

"Hey, wanna wrestle?" Luigi choked on air. _But apparently Mario does!_

"Ah, you're Mario, aren't you?" Bones said with a wag of his finger. "You wanna tussle with everybody."

"I'm not Mario," replied Mario, shaking his head and looking almost offended. Luigi leaned into Mario's ear to whisper, "Yes you are and this guy will pummel you then me if we don't walk away."

"Oh, please," Mario snorted then turned back to Bones. "Fight me!" Bones hopped out of his seat and popped his knuckles.

"If you insist," he said.

Luigi jumped back as Bones lunged for Mario, knocking him to the floor. The angry Koopa skeleton gave Mario some good blows to the side and Luigi hopped up to wince.

_Oh, I can't do anything, can I? If I join the fight, I'll just get in the way!_

He hoped Mario would get up- if anything were to happen, they only had one mushroom to use for the entire trip. _Why aren't you doing anything? _Despite the punches, Mario's smug smile remained on his face.

_Do something! I don't want to intervene! _Luigi's brain screamed at Mario. As if he'd heard, Mario shoved Bones off and landed a swift kick to his attacker's ribcage. Bones stumbled back, grabbing his ribs before they toppled apart like a Jenga tower.

"Alright, alright, you got some power on you, not-Mario," he said. Not-Mario twirled his mustache with a triumphant grin, too busy brimming with pride to notice Bones was ready to continue.

"Ouchie," Luigi mumbled in his glove, watching Mario get struck in the gut by a bony fist. Mario huffed but not in pain- annoyance, morelike. He hopped in the air and let his heavy boots land on top of Bones' head. Bones quivered from the impact before collapsing.

"Not fair," his head whined from the floor. A few bystanders gasped. Luigi flinched at familiar laughter behind him. _Daisy? _He turned halfway to see her guffawing at the skeleton's misfortune. It seemed weird- she'd been acting grim this whole time but now she was giggling like a sleep-deprived five-year-old. _I can't point that out to her, that'll ruin the moment. Should I join in? _Though not knowing what was funny, Luigi forced a small chuckle, hoping this action would do some good for their relationship.

"That dude got his ass handed to him!" she laughed.

* * *

"Ruth."

Fluffy orange cat ears perked up at the sound of Peach's voice. The man watched the colored balls roll across the table, his yellow eyes wide with eagerness. He sighed when the cue ball joined number four into a pocket.

"You broke my concentration, love," he said, turning to Peach; annoyed but not a hint of it in his smooth voice. He dropped the cue stick and crossed his arms. "You shouldn't be here."

"I need your help," Peach ignored his statement. Ruth raised an eyebrow.

"I'm surprised you remember me. You still running that mud hole you call a kingdom?" Peach barely frowned. She hadn't forgotten about his attitude or his hatred towards the MK. He used to live there, under her rule- but not since the plane crash.

"You still feel bitter towards it?"

Ruth's face flashed a strange look, like he was reminiscing those days. "As a matter of fact, I do. But nevermind the past, love. How may I be of service to you?" He caught the hesitation cross Peach's face and smirked. "Is that King Koopa giving you trouble again?"

"No," she replied. Ruth looked disappointed in her answer but said nothing. Peach clenched her hands together as she began to explain the predicament she was in.

"Wow, that's… you do have a problem." A smile flickered on his face, revealing for a second his tiny pearly-whites. "It feels nice to finally be wanted. Am I still your little side character?"

Peach swallowed a twinge of guilt. _There's no need to feel guilty. _All Rutherford ever wanted was to help her, but she'd always denied it. _Why did he always want to get involved? For money?_

"You never were," she finally replied. Ruth pinched his lips.

"I don't believe you but no matter. I will help you. Because that's what useless side characters do." Peach sighed. _Always so difficult with you._

"This Frackai you speak of… I saw him here," said Ruth. He picked up the eight ball and rolled it in his paws, breaking eye contact. Peach already knew what was coming. _I didn't bring any money..._

"I hate to do this to you, love, but I may need something from you in return. I can't give information for free, not with the way things are here. You know how it is."

"I don't have anything for you," Peach chose to be honest. She waited for the pity-party to ensue.

"That's alright," Ruth said, to Peach's surprise.

_What? Has he changed? Is he sick? Does he finally have a well-paying job?_

"You can write me an IOU."

_There it is._

"Fine," Peach breathed, then gestured for Ruth to spill the beans. Giving money was never a problem- not when you're a princess- but owing this guy money seemed weird. He'd always acted like he owed something to her, so for it to be the other way around made Peach uncomfortable. She already owed her kingdom revenge. _What else will challenge me today? _she pondered.

"Where did Frackai go?"

Ruth set down the eight ball and picked up a seven. "He came through here this morning. He challenged me to a billiard game, in which he beat me instantly. You know I'm terrible at it. He gloats like there's no tomorrow. I wish I'd slapped his smug-"

"Ruth."

"Anyway, he left. He headed towards Kuromahu; took the shortcut through Fuzzy Forest." Peach's nose crinkled at that. _I don't remember a Fuzzy Forest or a shortcut._

"It's new," Ruth said as if he'd heard her thoughts. He snorted. "I don't why it's here. Some of the folks here already act like they're on Fuzzies." Peach briefly recalled a day from her troublesome childhood; the day she'd messed around with Fuzzies. Toadsworth had to drag her drowsy body to the bathtub. In her happy daze, she'd nearly killed the old Toad with her thrashing and dancing. _I do not want to mess with those again. But would I have more self-control now that I'm older?_

"That's everything?" Peach asked, not to be rude. Ruth stared at his paws.

"Seems rude to mention this, but…" His voice lowered to a hush. "He talked about avenging his father's death. Someone murdered his father. When he was just a boy."

"Oh, dear," Peach found herself gasping. For a second, she recalled the day Toadsworth told her the truth about what had happened to her parents. _I know how that feels._ Lingering on that memory stung her heart, so she straightened her spine to regain composure and think more clearly. _It makes perfect sense… villain with a tragic backstory taking out his rage on us! _She tapped her chin. _But why us?_

Peach blinked, snapping herself out of her thoughts. Ruth was setting up another pool game.

"Thank you, Ruth," she spat and hurried away to search for her friends. Ruth glanced her way with a sad look crossing his face. Peach was too far away to hear his quiet mutter.

"Sorry, love. He told me to."

* * *

"Hey, UGLY!"

Daisy, red-faced from laughing, marched up to a chubby Shy Guy and shoved his arm. Luigi chewed the fabric of his glove. He was happy to see Daisy's mood had lightened but he dreaded the idea of her losing a fight. _Maybe…_

"Daisy, maybe we shouldn't-" he started, but Daisy had already thrown off her coat.

"FIGHT ME!" she copied Mario, who copied her grin. The person she was about to assault looked up from a plate of grey chicken tenders with a default expression on his white mask.

"No," he said. Daisy balled up her fists, not taking no for an answer. "Come on! Let out your problems through violence!" Luigi kept his distance from the Shy Guy, remembering the day he'd seen one of their faces. _Empty, lifeless, raven eyes carrying the weight of a hundred sins and a past sacrifice- _He pushed that image away with a shiver. _It's just a face. Don't be judgemental._

"You're chicken if you don't fight me!" Daisy teased the Shy Guy. Luigi pulled his hat over his ears.

_Relax, she can handle herself,_ Luigi's brain said. _It's Mario you should be concerned about._

"Mario," Luigi scolded, "you should sit down." He couldn't force down his worry. "Daisy, you can't just fight random people." Daisy didn't flinch as she turned to her love interest.

"Why not?" she asked with her hands on her hips. "That's what Mario does." Mario nodded then frowned at the mention of that name again. Luigi stepped past them toward the Shy Guy.

"I'm sorry, sir. They're very energetic," he apologized.

"Indeed," the Shy Guy replied before rising from his seat. "_And just what are you?"_

"_What?" the tiny word barely went past Luigi's lips. What does that even mean? I'm me. The bar's occupants had disappeared into thin air, and soon did the furniture and the walls. Luigi stood in a wide-open field now, alone, save for a single tree._

"_This again?" Luigi muttered, more annoyed than afraid. Unlike the last vision, Luigi was at the foot of the tree instead of within its branches. He watched his own breath puff out of his mouth before catching another difference: the rough bark texture on the tree. Etched in the tree bark was a question._

_**Why didn't you take me?**_

_Luigi squinted at the letters, trying to figure out if he'd seen this handwriting before. Who wrote this? Why am I seeing this? Frackai, he realized with a snap of his fingers. He said he'd do this. But why?_

"_Luigi…" hissed a distant voice, the sound waves crawling into his ears and making him shiver. "Luigi…"_

"_Why are we playing your games?" Luigi called out to the grass. He jumped at a scratching sound and turned back to see new words on the tree._

_**Because I hate you**_

"_What- I don't even know you!"_

_**Not yet**_

_Luigi shook his head and plopped down onto a tree root. "Stupido. That's what this is." He stood up. "You're trying to make me lose my mind with riddles and glimpses of your plans and y- w- well it won't work on me." He clenched his fists. I can't be scared of this shit anymore. "It won't work on me." Luigi hoped his brave facade would convince the villain. The tree had another message._

_**Yeah ok then good luck with that**_

"_Damn you," Luigi spat before blinking the bar back into view._

"Luigi, I've been calling your name, like, a million times."

Daisy appeared, though blurry for a second, her expression blank. Luigi rubbed his eyes and gasped. The Shy Guy was gone.

"Where-" he started, then frowned as he got it. _Frackai. _"Daisy, where did he go?"

"I gave him a little sucker punch, or tried to, and he just vanished," she answered. "Probably some Shy Guy voodoo shit or-" Luigi didn't mean to silence her when he grabbed her shoulders.

"Daisy, remember the mansion?" After a pause, Daisy's eyebrows knitted together and she dropped her jaw.

"The dude wasn't even real?" she asked, moreso thinking aloud as she squinted into space. Luigi swallowed rising anxiety before it could reach his face. _Don't let it affect you._

"It's fine, it's just- let's get this quest done," he breathed, then scanned the area for Peach. He caught her over by the pool tables speaking with someone. _I hope she's done here. _Luigi turned back to Daisy and realized Mario wasn't with her. _Oh no. _He whirled two more times before asking, "Where did Mario go?" Daisy leaned against the counter.

"He went outside with Skelly." Luigi wrung his hands, his eyes widening. _What if he gets hurt again? If he keeps hitting his head, he could lose himself entirely!_

"Why did you let him outside?" he tried not to sound too upset and failed.

"He's a grown man, he can handle-" she stopped when she noticed Luigi's expression. "Oh. Yeah, we should probably go get him."

* * *

"Mario?" Luigi called when he stepped outside, then frowned at his voice crack. He and Daisy searched the area, ignoring the cold and moving with haste. They found the red-clad plumber ducking behind a few barrels.

"Mario, what-" Luigi started only for Mario to shush him.

"I'm hiding."

Luigi sighed. _Back to his childish antics again._ "Mario, please-"

"Shh!"

"I can hear you, lip hair," growled the Dry Bones in the distance. Luigi peered out from behind the barrels to see two glowing eyes peering back.

"AHH!"

Bones grabbed Luigi by the head, chuckling deeply.

"And just what are you?" he said. Luigi scowled. He'd had enough of this crap. _I'm Mario's brother! _A flash of green light emitted from Luigi's palms. Streaks of lightning danced across the Koopa skeleton's bones as he screeched and jerked violently. Luigi fell on the pavement, watching his electric-charged hands tingle with power. _I forgot about that. Why couldn't I do this when I'm in real danger?_

"That was epic, Luigi!" Daisy exclaimed, then added, "Why couldn't you do that when we're in real danger?"

"Um… what are you three doing?"

The three whirled to see Peach standing there with a bewildered expression on her face. Her eyes darted back and forth between her friends and the twitching Dry Bones. Daisy slapped Luigi forward.

"Um… well, he was- and Mario- and- violence- punching-" Luigi tried his best to offer an explanation, "-they were- and then he- I didn't mean to-" Peach covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. Luigi felt his cheeks heat up and he scuffed the ground. _She's laughing at me._

"It's alright, Luigi," she said even though it didn't help one bit. "I was just asking." She changed the subject while adjusting her gloves. "We need to travel through Fuzzy Forest. It's a shortcut to Mount Kuromahu."

"That's a terrible idea," Daisy thought out loud with a frown. "What if we get attacked by someone?" Luigi winced at that thought. He had no idea what a Fuzzy could do to a person and didn't want to find out now.

"I agree with Da-" But Princess Peach had already started walking in that direction. Daisy followed behind with her head hanging low, obviously resenting the idea and back to her irritated mood. Luigi pocketed his hands and went with the flow. _It's better for an actual leader to lead than me. Peach knows what's best. If I led this group, we'd be dead. _He squinted. _That's sad._

"Where are we going?" Mario couldn't stop a whine. Luigi pulled on his bottom eyelid with a sigh.

"_Mamma mia_."

* * *

From the entrance, Luigi couldn't see more than two feet into Fuzzy Forest. The bright early afternoon sun did hardly anything to light it. The dark trees cast huge shadows over him and his friends; some of its branches were covered in fluffy white balls, aka, Fuzzies- not to be confused with the black sentient ones. Luigi took a breath and waited for anyone other than himself to begin trekking through the forest. Mario tucked his thumbs under his overall straps.

"Let's-a go!" he announced and took one step before Luigi grabbed him by the shirt collar.

"One second, Mario. Are you sure this is a shortcut, princess?" Without thinking, Luigi tapped Peach's shoulder to grab her attention. She flinched and so did he.

"Uh… yes," Peach answered after a pause. "I trust my source."

"Who is this source?" Daisy asked, crossing her arms. Peach untangled her hands.

"A good old friend of mine."

Daisy squinted at her friend's blond hair. "Are you sure we can trust this 'good old friend'? Luigi and I saw a Shy Guy that was just one of Frackai's illusions." She pat Luigi's shoulder. "Right, sweetie? We can't trust anyone." Luigi turned to see Daisy's aquamarine eyes pleading his accord. She longed to be right. She even used a "sweetie" on him. Luigi fumbled with his overall buttons, nerved by everyone watching him; waiting for his answer.

_Daisy might be right… if that Shy Guy wasn't real, who knows what is and what isn't. But I trust Peach. If I agree with Daisy, I might make Peach upset. But if I agree with Peach, I might lose a girlfriend. _Both options seemed like Hell. He didn't want to upset anyone any more than he already had with his pitiful existence.

"Um… what do you think, Mario?" Everyone turned to the empty spot where Mario had been. Luigi yanked his mustache, his heart slamming into his other organs. "Mario!"

_Oh mio Dio… if something happened to him, I wouldn't be able to live with myself! What if he touched a Fuzzy? What if he jumped off a cliff? What if-_

"I told you, I'm not Mario!"

Luigi's eyes scanned the forest for red. It didn't take long to find it sitting in the tree above them. Luigi took a breath to calm his nerves.

"Mario," he scolded, "I told you to wait." Mario rolled his eyes and slid down the tree to face his little brother.

"I'm _not _Mario," he enunciated with a wag of his finger. He dug into his pocket to find his go-kart license. "See, my name is-" He frowned. Daisy snorted at his expression. Not-Mario threw the plastic card into the dirt with a huff.

"I don't like it. I want a different name."

"I think your name is lovely," Peach tried to help. Luigi didn't notice the slight dip of his eyebrows as he picked up Mario's kart license and dismissed a selfish thought of his. _You've never said that about me._

"My name," proudly announced Not-Mario, "is Stano." Luigi crinkled his nose. _That's a terrible name._ Stano's smile faded when he saw everyone's disapproval.

"Whatever. You can't change it," he snapped. He didn't stay upset for long. "Alright, let's-a go!" He bounced on his heels, ready for action. Luigi glanced at Peach, who gave him a tiny smile that said _Lead the way._ Luigi took one step into the forest and sighed.

"Let's-a go."

* * *

Luigi swallowed his worries as he led his friends into Fuzzy Forest. The deeper they went, the narrower the trail was; the harder it became to avoid the floating fluff balls. Luigi halted to avoid a drifting Fuzzy in his way, causing everyone to collide with him.

"Sorry, Luigi," Peach muttered. Luigi anchored his feet and waved about his hands, screaming in his head, _Don't fall! Don't fall! _Daisy yanked him back by the jacket collar. Luigi fell on his butt and watched the Fuzzy drift away.

"Thanks, Daisy," he said, standing and rubbing dirt off his overalls. She grunted in response. Luigi started again, keeping his eyes trained on the obstacles ahead. _One, two, three, walk! _He brushed past three Fuzzies and a branch that slit his jacket fabric. Luigi glanced over his shoulder to make sure things were going fine back there. Everyone followed his pattern, albeit Stano reluctantly. A Fuzzy dared to float near Peach's now uncovered hair.

"Look out!" Luigi cried. Peach noticed the Fuzzy approaching and whipped out her parasol. The psychedelic fluff stuck to its top.

"Whew," she sighed. Daisy frowned at the parasol shadowing her face. "You had that the whole time?" Peach nodded sheepishly. Luigi stared at her parasol, an idea developing in his head.

_We could storm through and not get touched by a Fuzzy._ He tugged his lip hair. _But these sharp branches could destroy her parasol._

"Luigi? Are we clear to go?" asked she. He whirled back and examined the Fuzzies ahead. _This could work. _In the back of his head, he discouraged himself: _It's too risky. If it breaks, we'd be exposed._

Stano suddenly shouting broke Luigi's train of thought. "THIS IS TAKING TOO LONG!" He shoved past his mates and darted ahead before anyone could grab him.

"Mar- I mean, er, Stano!" Luigi yelled. Peach stepped forward, pulling down her parasol. "We have to go after him! If he touches a Fuzzy, he'll be out of control! Worse than he already is!" The girls looked to Luigi once again. He felt his worry stir in his chest and gulped it down. _We have to try._

"I-I have a plan." He peered through the sharp branches and shut out his fearful thoughts. _We have to go after Mario! _He grabbed Peach's parasol from her hands before he could let his brain convince him not to.

"We run," he put it simply, opening the parasol as wide as it could go. Peach's face flashed a look of longing; she didn't want to destroy her parasol. But she glanced up at the red-and-blue blur dashing through the danger and sighed.

"Okay." She huddled behind Luigi, who stiffened at her closeness, feeling his blood pump louder than before. He shook his head to force away the weird feeling he felt. "Daisy, get ready." She blinked, snapping out of a trance.

"Okay."

Now that everyone had a firm grip on the parasol pole, Luigi took a deep breath.

"On three."

_Mario better be okay._

"_Una_."

_Oh, we won't be able to see where we're going- shut up, just stay on the path!_

"_Due_."

_I can't do this, I can't do this, I- _He looked back to the four blue eyes staring back at him; burning with determination. _We can do this._

"_Tre!_"

They began to sprint blindly through the forest, watching with awe as the Fuzzies whizzed past the parasol and behind them. Luigi felt his hands shaking but kept a tight grip on the parasol. _Just run. _The sounds rushing in his ear- his heavy breathing, his boots crushing the sticks beneath him, his pulse- was enough to replace his worry with determination.

"Go, go, go!" Daisy shouted before running too quickly and stepping on Peach's heel. "Ouch!" To avoid falling, Peach grabbed onto Luigi's overall straps. Luigi flinched at her tiny fists on his back but recovered upon noticing the tears in the parasol. Fuzzies had begun to fill the gaps.

"We have to be close!" Luigi shouted his panicky thoughts. The girls kept kicking his heels but he ignored it. Continuing to run, Luigi felt a branch slice across his cheek. He winced, unable to ignore that pain. The ground seemed like it was tilting and Luigi fought to run against it. He squinted through the parasol rips and saw the end of the forest approach.

"Almost there!"

_Keep running, don't-_ He saw it. A red blob to his left. His body moved without input from the brain; he let go of the parasol and left shelter to dart through the trees.

"Luigi!" both girls screamed, but he couldn't hear them over his adrenaline. Luigi pivoted three times, his head pounding. _Where did Mario go? _His throat felt dry. _There! _Mario was on the ground, his hair and clothes covered in Fuzz. Luigi ran to his brother and stopped himself from grabbing him. _I can't touch it! _He tore off his jacket and carefully but quickly scooped up Mario in it. Then he scanned the area for the girls. _Did they leave me?_

"Did I pass?" Mario mumbled, his eyes wide but barely open.

"You did, you did," Luigi heard himself saying, still trying to find where Daisy and Peach had gone. His blood ran cold. _If I can't find them, I can't find a way out! Which way do I go? _He ducked to avoid a Fuzzy, then began going west.

"Yes, Mamma, I wan s-more spaghetti," slurred Mario. Luigi whirled once more, wincing at his cheek burning and his stomach twisting. _Calm down. _He forced calm over himself to pinpoint a spot of pink. _There! _He nimbly dodged a fast Fuzzy and made his way to the pink.

"No!" he cried, realizing upon closer inspection that the pink was a piece of fabric from Peach's parasol. _I'm lost!_

"Unhand her!" Mario screamed and began to thrash in Luigi's arms. "I'll kill you!"

"Stop it, Mario!" Luigi shouted, struggling to keep his brother off the ground.

"HEY! OVER HERE!" Luigi perked up at Daisy's shout. _Where is she?_ He saw a tiny flash of white- she was waving at him.

"We're coming!" he called and began to run. He avoided the Fuzzies without realizing it; lucked through the whole obstacle course while paying no heed to Mario's crazy movements and speech. Luigi broke through the last layer of trees and collapsed on his brother and cold grass. The sun shot his eyes as he scrambled to his feet.

"I knew you'd make it!" Daisy declared before planting a huge kiss on Luigi's sweaty forehead. Luigi let himself blush for a second, then turned to Mario's twitching body on the ground. Frothy spit oozed from the corners of Mario's mouth as he made intelligible noises. "K- ack- lu- ah- raa- f…" Luigi sighed. _My fault. _He hated that he blamed himself but couldn't stop. "Sorry, bro."

"Are you okay, Luigi?" Peach asked, startling him when he realized she was right next to him.

"Oh, I'm-" _It doesn't matter, anyway. _"Are you okay, princess?" Adjusting her gloves, Peach nodded. She lifted up her ruined parasol, her eyes blank. Luigi stared at the ground.

"I'm sorry about that-"

"It's okay," Peach said with a smile, "I have more." Luigi rubbed his torn sleeves, not feeling any lighter.

_At least we made it out, _he thought.

He caught a glimpse at the mountain ahead of them.

"Wowie zowie," he mouthed, gazing at the view. They were already halfway up the mountain. _It really was a shortcut. _He turned back to his group and examined them from afar. Peach had a few tears in her stockings and dirt in her hair and clothes, but she seemed fine. Daisy had sticks in her hair and a few cuts on her bare arms. Mario was still on the ground but he'd rolled to his side- other than covered in Fuzzies, he was okay. Luigi rubbed his itching cheek then stared at the blood staining his glove.

_It should be fine_, he told himself. _Save the mushrooms for something more drastic._

He looked to Daisy and reached over to pluck a stick from her hair. Her eyes staring into space, she didn't notice right away. Luigi cocked his head. _Now she's spacing out? She doesn't do that._

"Oh, thank you, Luigi," she said way too late, then joined Peach at the start of the mountain climb. Luigi stopped himself from touching his face again and took a deep breath.

_Everything's okay. After we get this stone thing from the mountain cave, we can go home. Everyone will laugh off that argument, then forget it. Everything will be normal._

Luigi flinched at the crunching sound booming from his DS's tiny speakers. E. Gadd took a minute to notice Luigi's disgust.

"Oh, sorry," he said through a mouthful of chips, "did I distract you? Here, I'll mute myself so you won't hear it."

"You don't have to do that," Luigi said only to be nice. E. Gadd put his hand back in his chip bag.

"Oh. Okay. I won't then. Continue." Luigi fought back a yawn before returning to his recap.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Luigi and friends will climb Mount Kuromahu to retrieve an artifact for Frackai in the next chapter! Oh, and, I'm forgetting a character, aren't I? Don't worry, he'll be Wack- I mean, back._

I switched around how the chapter read- wanted to make things more interesting.


	11. Mount Kuromahu

**Happy 1st Aniversary, Luigi's Quest!**

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Mount Kuromahu

The mountain trail in front of them went higher and higher. Few trees sheltered them from the blazing sun- it had gotten hotter as the afternoon rose. The further up they went, the more prominent a sharp chemical smell became. Each of them felt the energy radiating from the peak of this mountain.

_Almost there._

Luigi hung at the back of the group, clutching his jacket bundle close, in which a sleeping Mario laid. Every few seconds, Luigi would glance down at him. _He looks so peaceful and undisturbed. _Luigi copied the tiny smirk on Mario's sleepy face.

"Hey." Luigi looked up to meet Peach's worried eyes. "Are you doing okay?" The answer to that question was no. Luigi's knees buckled under the weight of sleep deprivation, his own worries, and his over-two-hundred-pound older brother. The gash on his face from that gnarly tree branch burned as oxygen hit it and would probably get infected if it wasn't treated soon. The worst part? This whole mess was his fault to begin with.

"I'm fine, princess," Luigi replied. Peach squinted, obviously seeing straight through his lie, then went back to the front of the group. Luigi sighed. Daisy, her hands tightly gripping her backpack straps, peered over her shoulder at Luigi, who caught her stare. _Something has been bothering her_, Luigi knew. _She's been pretending nothing's wrong, but… _The distant look in her eyes felt wrong to him. _But I can't just-how do I talk to her? _

"What is it?" Daisy asked with an indistinguishable tone. Luigi snapped out of his head, feeling his cheeks redden at the fact that Daisy caught him staring at her. _She looks mad. I have to say something now but I don't want to upset her._

"Oh, I just- I wanted to say… thank you for being here, I guess." He scuffed the ground and watched a pebble skitter away. Daisy grinned, though the action was delayed, and slowed her walk to give Luigi a little nudge punch. He tightened his calves to prevent toppling over.

"You're welcome!" she replied. An odd feeling in his chest, Luigi couldn't return her smile. She didn't give him a satisfactory answer. Or did he say the wrong thing?

"No, I mean it," he emphasized. Daisy raised an eyebrow as he continued, "I started this whole mess, and yet you've stood by me all the while. So, uh, thanks for that." Daisy smiled again, but this time more genuinely.

"Of course," she said. Luigi couldn't stay upset for long- the confident aura she always gave off repelled any negative feelings of his. Along with those sparkling teal eyes, that was the reason Luigi fell in love with Daisy.

"By the way," she added, her hands behind her back, "I'm sorry if I've been acting weird lately. I just- we haven't really had time together- you know, you and me. I can tell when you're stressed out because it rubs off on me. We both need some time together. I mean, that's like, the biggest reason I came to visit the Mushroom Kingdom." Luigi's pace slowed as he imagined some alone time with Daisy.

_That sounds nice… but she's so rough- I don't think I'll be able to fully enjoy her company._ _What I need is a good nap. But I can't do that yet, can I? We can't do anything until we get rid of this threat._

"Luigi?"

He forced his thoughts away to focus on Daisy.

"Sorry, I was- um, yeah, I think you're right."

Daisy beamed. "Good. So you best be prepared for me then, sweetheart!" She aggressively booped his nose and grabbed his arms before he stumbled backward. Luigi caught another smile on his face, feeling his insides warm up. Both of them felt much better than they'd care to admit.

_I finally talked to her. I don't think she told me everything, but neither did I. It's a start, anyway. If we get some us time, we'll be able to talk more. She'll understand me._

The jacket bundle in Luigi's arms began to stir. Luigi perked up while the others stopped and whirled around.

"Mario!" Luigi exclaimed too loudly at the sight of his brother's eyes opening. The blue irises drifted about lazily before landing on Luigi.

"You look just like me," Mario uttered, raising a finger. Luigi felt his hopes shatter and cut his insides with their jagged edges. _He's still not okay. _

"Are you alright, Mario?" Peach asked. Mario's thick eyebrows squished together. Luigi winced, awaiting the dreaded, _who's Mario?_

"Yeah, I- I think so. My ah… _mal di testa_… I have… head pain." Everyone glanced at one another with wide eyes, each having been expecting the dreaded, _who's Mario? _Or worse, _No, my name is Stano! _Luigi set Mario on his feet.

"Do you remember me?" Luigi asked, then felt his stomach quease. Mario rubbed his forehead with a grimace.

"I can't… I can't focus well. _Non posso._ You look just like me. Why? Are we related?" Luigi rubbed his sore arms and blinked back burning tears. _This is worse than last time._

"That's Luigi, your li-" Peach started, only for Luigi to but in, "Brother. Just brother. We're brothers." Mario raised an eyebrow at Luigi's strange demeanor, then pocketed his hands. "_Va bene_. Okay. I can see that." He eyed both himself and Luigi. "Why the matching outfits?" Luigi opened his mouth but couldn't find anything to say. _I guess it's always been that way with us. A habit. Why do we match outfits? Because we're twins?_

"I… don't know," he finally replied, scratching his head. Daisy stepped ahead, calling behind her, "C'mon, we gotta get up here!"

"Ooh…" Mario groaned and sat down on the rock trail. "I don't feel good at all." Daisy stopped while Luigi crouched to examine Mario. Peach laid a hand on Mario's forehead.

"He doesn't have a fever," she noted. Luigi peered into Mario's eyes, noticing that the irises had taken a dull and flat blue while the eyes themselves were a little red.

"He's probably just feeling weird after all those Fuzzies in his system," Peach offered an explanation. Luigi nodded with a, "Yeah," although not really listening to her. Looking into Mario's eyes, he knew something was off about them but not as a result of the Fuzzies. Those were the eyes that Mario gave back when Frackai had gotten in his head. The fear laced his eyes then and now.

_Did he get a vision, too?_ Luigi wondered. _It's not like Mario to be so afraid._

"You can stop staring at me now," Mario muttered with a frown. Luigi stood up and looked to the path ahead, then back to his brother. He rubbed his still-numb arms.

_I can't carry him forever._

Just thinking about the notion brought a wave of exhaustion over Luigi. As if she read his mind, Peach put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Luigi. We'll figure something out." Luigi stroked his nose. _I need an idea… come on, brain. I really wish Mario would just float up the mountain. That would be easy. _He perked up, suddenly struck with an idea.

"Maybe he can float up the mountain!" he exclaimed without any context. Mario's face went pale while Daisy cocked an eyebrow with a "What?" Luigi ignored the eyes tracking him the best of his ability while he took out of his backpack two balloons.

"I, uh, forgot I had these," Luigi said to Peach's confused stare. One balloon was in the shape of a Power Star, while the other was a simple green balloon. These two balloons were of the many that Luigi wasn't able to sell back when Luigi was trying to sell balloons. It was fun at first- being able to float about and gift balloons like some balloon god- but after a few days the people of New Donk got bored chasing air-filled rubber and ignored their balloon god. Luigi sighed to push away the memory and also take a good breath before blowing up the balloon.

"So, you're going to attach Mario to a balloon?" Daisy asked, her hands on her hips. "What if he drifts away?" Luigi pulled out of his backpack two strings of ample length and tied them to the ends of the now-blown-up balloons.

"I'm going to tie it to Mario, then hold the rest of the string just in case," he explained, then crouched to do that. Mario stiffened at the contact of Luigi's hands around him.

"Um, isn't there another way we could get me up the mountain? That's, you know, safe?" Luigi stopped knotting the string to examine his brother's expression.

_There's that look again. He's acting so weird. What do I tell him? We don't really have any other ideas. _The longer Luigi stared at his older brother's face, the more he saw himself in it. _He's not Mario anymore, is he? _That thought brought a sense of dread over Luigi and he shivered.

"It's- uh- well-" Luigi stopped himself to get his words together and put a hand on Mario's shoulder. "You'll be okay. I'll-I'll hold onto the rest of the string. I won't let you fall." Mario unstiffened a bit.

"Okay," he said, touching Luigi's hand, then added softly, "I will trust my brother." Luigi felt a smile on his face after that little statement. _Mario's never said that to me before._ Luigi finished the knot and stood up while letting Mario go.

"Woah!" cried Mario, Daisy, and Peach as the former began to float upwards. Mario gripped the string and stared at the two feet of negative space below his legs with wide eyes. The balloons barely kept the chubby man afloat. Luigi grinned at his excellent idea, pride brimming in his chest. _No more aching back! No more tired arms! _

"Let's-a go," he said, and with the balloon string in hand began forward.

* * *

"Do any of you happen to have some kind of snack on you?"

Luigi tugged along the balloon string with haste, sighing at another Mario complaint. _At least that's normal- his wanting to eat every five seconds. _Each of them did have breakfast that morning but lunchtime was approaching and the mention of food brought annoying hunger pangs to Luigi's stomach. He ignored it. After all, the quest was more important. _Eating can wait._

"I have a granola bar," Daisy said, then grinned cheekily as she added, "that is mine." Mario groaned.

"After all this mess is resolved, I will host the dinner party this time," Peach declared. Luigi felt a sting of guilt and winced. He knew she didn't mean it like that but his stomach remained twisted. _I ruined it last time._

"I will make another big cake," Peach continued, catching Daisy's quick glance. They both knew what had happened to the last big cake. Peach peered Mario's way to see if he'd reacted to her statement. Any other time, he would have licked his lips and beamed ear-to-ear, but this time he just grunted. Peach swallowed the faint ache of disappointment- Mario would always be excited to hear there would be cake. _He isn't himself at the moment, _she told herself and straightened her spine to regain her peace.

The four all stopped at a rock incline too steep to walk up.

"What now?" Peach asked, turning to Luigi. Daisy rolled her eyes and grasped a jagged part of the cliff.

"We climb. Duh."

Luigi and Peach watched Daisy dash up the rocks and swing her body above the overhang with skill.

"We follow?" Luigi said to Peach moreso as a suggestion than an order, who crinkled her nose at the climb ahead. Just as Luigi placed his hands on the rocks, a screaming Daisy came tumbling down. Peach sidestepped to avoid getting hit while Luigi could only shriek before Daisy plopped on top of him.

"Are you two alright?" Peach asked. Luigi pushed legs out of his face and Daisy spat out her own ponytail.

"I'm okay…" Luigi mumbled a lie. This little topple was not helping his aching body.

"Thanks for catching me, sweetheart!" Daisy exclaimed, helping Luigi to his feet. He rubbed his back, groaning, "You're welcome…"

"How did you fall-" Peach started when Daisy was already beginning to explain, "A dumb beady-eyed cactus shit thing was in my way!"

"You mean a Pokey?" Peach corrected and Daisy shot a vexed glare in response. Luigi recalled the days of venturing to find Princess Peach after she'd been kidnapped. Pokeys were one of the baddies always blocking their way. Mario usually dealt with those while Luigi fled from its spikes.

He turned back to look at Mario, only to notice Mario was floating away. Luigi startled, his heart in his throat, as he stared at his empty hands. _I let him go._

"Mario! Luigi, you let him go!" Daisy noticed too. Luigi ignored the soggy weight of failure and sprinted across the rough ground to charge a super jump. Into the air he shot after he forced tired legs to push off the ground.

"Hup! Gotcha- woah!" Luigi latched onto Mario's boots and felt the balloon struggle to carry both their weights.

"Why didn't you scream or yell or something?" Luigi cried to Mario, who tightly clutched the string around his body.

"I don't know!" Mario replied in a yell.

* * *

From the ledge, Peach watched the Bros drift away with wide eyes.

"They're floating away! What do we do?" she cried, panic stirring her voice. Daisy picked up Luigi's backpack off the ground and rummaged through it.

"I don't know yet, but we'll- we'll think of something!"

* * *

"MARIO! STOP THAT!" Luigi scolded, tilting his head painfully to see him. His hands still tangled in the string, Mario looked down at his brother.

"I think I should untie the balloon," he said.

"NO! Please, don't!" Luigi screeched. He dared to look at the fall beneath his swinging legs and choked as breath became thick in his throat. Just for a split second, the air below Luigi's feet became the dark branches of a tree.

"Just hold on!" Luigi cried, his voice cracking and whining. His arms were going to rip out of their sockets if they didn't have rest soon.

"I'm untying the balloon!" Mario yelled back. Luigi's stomach contents threatened to spill out.

"Why?!"

"I'm untying it!" Luigi released one hand to attempt to slap Mario's, only to nearly slip.

"WHY?!"

"I untied it!" Mario announced, then let go of the string.

"NO!" His fingers digging into Mario's calves, Luigi couldn't get a gasp of air to his lungs as he and Mario plummeted toward the sharp treetops at an alarming rate. The fall was too fast for Luigi to think; to see anything more than a blur of colors.

* * *

"They're falling!" Daisy screamed, hopping up and shaking Peach's shoulders. "Do that thing you did! The bubble thing!"

"The bub- oh!" Peach extended her hands and kept her eyes trained on the falling Bros. _Come on! Focus! Concentrate!_ A translucent bubble began to materialize around them.

_Huh? We've stopped falling? _The air seemed to swirl around them now. Luigi popped open one eye and gasped at the pink surrounding him and Mario.

"Mario! We're saved!" he cried and gave his big brother a squeeze without allowing any time for hesitation.

"I caught them!" Peach exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

"Nice!" Daisy remarked too soon. Peach's magic bubble began to flicker and its owner bit her lip and felt her heart crash into her stomach. _Oh no!_ She cupped her hands, trying to reform the bubble.

* * *

The twins fell and stopped in an uncoordinated pattern- the motion bringing more nausea to Luigi's stomach.

"Okay," Luigi took a breath to calm himself and gather his thoughts. _Plan, plan. _He forced himself to stop looking down. "Land on our feet or take the fall damage?"

"Take the damage!"

"But-" An image of Mario smacking the ground head-first shut Luigi up. _That can't happen or he'll end up worse! _"Okay." Luigi wrapped his arms and legs around Mario's body, forming a cradle.

"What are you doing?" Mario asked though he didn't struggle.

"Taking the damage!"

_What are you doing?_ said a small part of Luigi. _He was mean to you; he can- _Luigi shut those thoughts out and focused on only one: _Protect Mario._

The ground came way before Luigi had anticipated it. There was a flash of black and green, then a blurry sky. He couldn't breathe- intense pressure crushed his lungs and compressed his entire body. _Mario's body is crushing me! He better be okay for this one! _The pressure lifted and Luigi gasped for air, a sharp pain deep in his torso. Red and blue entered his vision.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Mario said, holding out a gloved hand. Luigi took it and got to his feet.

"But I did," he replied, then added, "Are you okay?" Luigi scanned him up and down. _No blood._

Mario ignored the question. "You must really care about me to pull a stunt like that."

"I- I do, Mario. You're my twin brother." Why did that statement leave a bitter taste in Luigi's mouth?

"Twin?" A tiny smirk landed on Mario's face. "Which one of us is the oldest?" Luigi tugged the lip of his glove.

"Me." After a pause, Mario nodded. "Makes sense. You're taller and willing to risk your life for me."

"Mmhmm." Luigi rubbed the nape of his neck. _Why did you say that?! That's going to bite you later!_ He sighed and did a 360 to observe his surroundings. The longer he stared at the empty grassy hills the faster his heart pulsed.

_Fuzzy Forest was right here. If it's not here now, that means…_

"None of it was real. It wasn't a shortcut, it was j-just an obstacle to hinder our progress!" Luigi stomped his foot. _That bad guy! _Mario cocked his head. "_Che cosa_?" Something not green caught Luigi's eye- a rusty trapdoor hidden by tall grass.

"That has to be where to go!" he said his thoughts out loud. "Or that's just an old storage room." He didn't bother waiting for Mario to say a word or pay attention to his aches and pains as he dashed ahead to what he thought might be a lead.

* * *

"They're gone." Peach's hair hung over the ledge as she drooped her head. Daisy crouched next to her.

"They'll be fine, they're the Mario Bros!" she reassured her. "They'll make their way back and anyway if they're hurt down there they have a healing mushroom."

"Hmm. I suppose you're right."

Daisy couldn't stop a grin. "Of course I am." Knowing she walked right into that one, Peach huffed and stood to face the rock wall. Daisy anchored her arms and legs onto the wall.

"Okay," Daisy grunted while climbing for the second time, "I… am going to get rid of… that Pokey. When I get up here… toss me… the hammer from Luigi's bag." Daisy clung to the underside of the overhang and looked down at Peach, who picked up the bag and tightened her lips.

"I don't think you should fight them, Daisy," she called up. Daisy scoffed.

"So I should, what, make a deal with them?" Peach gripped the fabric of her dress, scowling up at Daisy.

"I just think that violence is not always necessary!"

"True, but trying to make friends with everyone bad is gonna get you hurt! Or worse!"

Peach paused before answering back, taking her statement into careful thought. _Daisy doesn't think fondly of the idea of risking one's life to end a conflict peacefully. But violence isn't always necessary._

"I understand," she replied, "but, just this once, do you think you could try it my way?" Daisy upturned her nose- the idea of acting sweet to your enemy was a bad one in her mind. _Oh hell no. Never again. I'm only sweet to Luigi and even that's rare._

"Sorry, Peach, but Daisy's got it!" Peach rolled her eyes and slung Luigi's bag onto her back before hoisting herself up onto the rock. The earth stabbed through and ruined her gloves but she ignored it for her friend's sake.

"You again?" groaned the Pokey on the top of the cliff. "I told you I wasn't movin'- it's too much effort." Adopting a fighting stance, Daisy replied snarkily, "You don't want to move? Fine! I'll move you- without a hammer, even!" The Pokey sucked in its spines, readying an attack. Daisy shot up a leg and kicked out one of the Pokey's body segments, which bounced and rolled away. The Pokey growled and snapped its spines out of one of its segments. Daisy's arms flew upward to defend her face, catching a few spines.

"Heh, HEH! I'm a little prickly, you see!" exclaimed the Pokey. Daisy grimaced at the spines prodding deep into her skin; had to use all her willpower to not pick them out. _Take a breath, now GO! _She launched another speedy kick to the Pokey, only to receive a lovely stab in the sole of her foot after the Pokey released bigger spines. "OUCH!" Her face twisting, Daisy yanked her foot back and stumbled into Peach.

"You finished yet?" the Pokey taunted with a smile, the pink flower on its head tilting along with its upper body. Daisy got up and stood on one leg. Squeezing her fists, she fired lasers into the Pokey's eyes with her glare. _Asshole, if I had that hammer… _Peach glanced back and forth between the Pokey's mean appearance and Daisy's bloody shoe. Her hands on her hips, the mushroom princess stormed over to face the Pokey.

"Say, what's your problem?" she fumed.

"You chicks ain't gettin' past me," the Pokey snarled. "I'm tired sittin' here in the sun an it's too much effort to move just because you wanna get by! Just go around!" Peach turned with a sigh. _If I must._ She dug through Luigi's bag and whipped around with her raggedy parasol. Daisy shook her head while the Pokey cocked an eyebrow.

"I know it's a little torn, but it'll be better than nothing," Peach said, holding out the parasol. The Pokey stared at Peach as if she were an alien, then burst into laughter.

"I am not taking that sorry excuse for an umbrella! Y'all really think I'm gonna just…"

Peach dropped the parasol. _It was worth a shot._ She took something else out of the bag and gave Daisy an apologetic look before leaping into the air and bouncing on her head. Peach twirled in the air, swinging Luigi's hammer smack-dab into the Pokey's cheek.

"Well this sucks," grumbled the Pokey head as it fell off the mountain. The rest of its body crumpled to the ground.

Peach dropped to her feet and stuck the hammer back in its bag. Daisy gawked.

"But you just said violence isn't necessary!" Peach offered her friend a hand in standing.

"I said not always." She smirked. "You need to carefully listen next time. Just because I don't fight often doesn't mean I can't." Daisy placed her hurt foot on the ground and winced at the pressure. "Ow." Peach took Daisy's arm and began plucking the Pokey spines out of it. Daisy swiped her ponytail off her shoulder.

"Ow- thanks for- ow- uh, showing up, I guess. Ow." Peach threw the old spines off the cliff.

"Anything for a friend!"

Daisy wanted to stay mad at Peach. She wanted to continue to be annoyed about that stupid little mistake Peach made. But looking at the sweet smile Peach gave her melted away all the anger.

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath, then gave her friend a quick hug.

* * *

Luigi anchored his feet into the ground, slid his fingers underneath the old trap door, and began to lift. The door opened way easier than Luigi had expected, flinging the man into a dark hole.

"Owie," Luigi sighed for his throbbing back and ribs. Mario peered down at him.

"_Accidenti_," Mario said, "last time I went into someplace dark I fell down some endless stairs." Luigi sat up to give Mario a perplexed look.

"When did that happen?"

Mario adjusted his cap. "Nevermind that." He hopped down next to Luigi and peered into the darkness. Luigi didn't notice his own body leaning against the wall until his back hit a switch and his eyes were blinded by a white fluorescent bulb. After Luigi's burning eyes adjusted to the light, they noticed a shiny elevator at the end of a short hall.

"That's weird," Luigi mumbled. Mario tapped the call button and crinkled his nose at the spot of dust on his glove. After a moment, the elevator cab came down and its doors opened with not a creak. There was only one button in the elevator. Luigi pressed it, ignoring a tiny thought in his head that he had no idea what that button might do. The elevator began to smoothly lift up the Bros to an unknown location. Luigi stared at his mosaic reflection in the gleaming elevator walls. _I look terrible._ He caught himself glancing Mario's direction.

_This… version of Mario seems to keep secrets from me. He reminds me of myself. Somewhat. Maybe I can talk to him since we're alone now? It would break this awkward silence._

Luigi rocked on his heels.

"M-Mario?" he called, then frowned at his stutter. Uprighting from leaning against the wall, Mario blinked out of a trance. "Hmm?"

"I, uh…" _What do I say? I don't want to say the wrong thing._ Luigi forced his shoulders to relax. _Just say something. _"Just wondering… uh, wh-why did you unbine the taloon? Er, I mean, untie the balloon?" Luigi mentally slapped himself. _There I go again, messing up words!_ Mario looked down at his gloves.

"In my state of panic, I thought that forcing us to fall would be easier to handle than just falling."

"You were panicking?" Luigi thought out loud. Mario looked up, an eyebrow raised.

"What, is that not normal for me?"

"No."

Mario fell back against the wall.

"I know I'm missing things," he sighed, shaking his head. "There are pieces of memories that I can't quite reach." Luigi lifted his head. _He can remember stuff. This is better than last time. Ugh, Stano is a bad name. _

"What do you remember?" Luigi's mouth asked. Mario stroked his chin.

"I remember… stuff. You know, like a normal person. I think. It's just that some important pieces are missing. I remember bits of my childhood, but I don't remember you ever being in it. Isn't that weird? I remember standing in a tree and falling. That one… makes me nervous to recall."

Wringing his hands, Luigi remembered seeing the visions.

_In the tree. Mario hurt. Drowning._

_It's not real, _Luigi's brain reminded. _It was just that bad Frackai messing with your head. _But it seemed so real in the moment. _One came true._ _Mario actually got hurt. What does that mean for the rest of them?_

"Mario, th-the tree thing isn't real," Luigi said, moreso to himself. Mario blinked in surprise.

"I- okay. Wow." He paused, an unreadable expression on his face. "Um, Luigi?" He sounded awkward saying the name. "Tell me what we're doing exactly. Where are we going? Why can't I remember stuff? Who are those girls with us?" Luigi's heart startled at the pressure. Luigi took a deep breath. _Don't tell him everything,_ nagged a small part of him.

"Okie dokie. One: we're trying to find some old relic here for this bad guy named Frackai who threatened to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom, which we both are from. Two: It- It was Frackai- messing with your head. Then you got ahold of some Fuzzies and got worse. Three: that's Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom and Princess Daisy of Sarasaland. Who is my, uh… well, we're a little more than friends." Mario's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, that's right. Princess Peach. She's really pretty." He twirled a finger through his mustache. "Are the two of us-"

"No!" Luigi blurted then frowned at his outburst. _Why am I saying that? She likes Mario._

"Oh," Mario said, unable to hide the disappointment in his tone.

After a pause, Mario wagged a finger and squinted. "Didn't we have an argument about something-"

"No!" Luigi blurted again, his hands shooting up. "We're totally fine, relationship-wise. We're, ah, we're okay." Mario's brows squished together, creating a look of skepticism that Luigi wished would blow away like the dust on the elevator cab walls.

"Okay. I trust you," Mario finished. Luigi pocketed his hands, wondering if he could just run away from this tangled mess he got himself stuck in.

_I can't leave everything I know behind, I'll have nowhere to go._ He sighed. _I'll just have to deal with it. That's how it's always been._

"Wasn't there also this fat guy I-" Mario started, only to be interrupted by the elevator ding. The doors slid open.

"Woah," the Bros exclaimed.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Wow. It's been a whole year. I'm so proud of myself for committing to something. Virtual ice cream for everyone!


	12. Bad Chocolate

Chapter Twelve: Bad Chocolate

The walls gleamed, made of stone polished down to the molecule. Three doors took each wall. A one way window overlooked the entire town, making its inhabitants look like ants from the high view. A plant occupied every square foot, except for one corner; in which sat a beautiful dark wooden desk and white file cabinets.

How could a room so beautiful be hidden inside such an unsightly mountain?

"Mario, I think we're close to what we're looking for," Luigi said over his shoulder, poking a leafy plant and watching it bounce. Mario frowned at a fern leaf poking his leg.

"These plants are artificial." Luigi caught himself smiling. _He never did like fake plants._ Just to annoy his big brother, Luigi declared, "I think they're lovely."

"Meh," Mario grumbled and stepped past all those hideous house plants. Luigi picked the door closest to him and grabbed the handle.

_Wait! _panicked his mind. _What if someone is here?_

Luigi let go of the door handle as if it was suddenly a hot stove burner. Mario caught this strange action. "What's wrong?"

"There might be enemies here, Mario. We have to be careful." Mario nodded, then glanced around as if one had just spawned right behind him. Luigi put his ear up to the door.

"I don't hear any-any footsteps or anything," he whispered over his shoulder. "I think it's clear to go." He took a breath, then let his fingers carefully twist the doorknob. The door swung open and revealed, to contrast the main room, a small living space littered with papers and soda bottles in random stacks. Luigi picked up a bottle that he nearly bumped with his boot.

"Chuckola Cola. Daisy's favorite." He set it down gently to not create a noise, only for Mario to walk in and knock it down.

"Oopsies," Mario said, flashing an "I didn't mean to" look to his exasperated brother. The bottle clinked against another, and another, setting off a chain reaction. Luigi watched, his blood running cold. _This was a trap._

"Mario," he croaked, grabbing his arm, "we have to get out of here before-" From the main room, a door snapped off its hinges. Luigi could barely get the rest of his words out. "-s-someone hears us." He reacted without thinking. In one swift motion, he forced Mario and himself in the tight space between a crusty couch and the wall. Mario shuffled to un-crush his nose on the back of the couch. Luigi focused on the approaching footsteps, not realizing he was squeezing his brother's arm.

"Luigi-"

"Shh!"

The footsteps came closer. Every muscle in Luigi's body itched to move but he refused to give in. Another step- were they right there? Could they smell the thick fear resonating from Luigi's body? He stopped breathing. **Step. Step.**

_Please leave. Please leave._

"I could've sworn I heard something," grumbled what sounded like a raspy female. Footsteps trailed off. Luigi let himself breathe. _We're safe. _He looked to his brother, whose eyes and nose were twitching.

"No!" Luigi mouthed, shaking his head.

"Ah… ah…" Luigi clamped a hand over Mario's nose and mouth. _Don't sneeze on my glove. Don't sneeze at all, actually. _Mario continued to twitch and Luigi stared at him with pleading eyes. _Please don't. _After a minute, Mario relaxed. Luigi slowly brought his hand down.

"AH-CHOO!"

Luigi practically slapped Mario trying to cover his face but it was pointless. Thankfully, no visible snot dripped from Luigi's gloves. It was, however, all over his face. More concerned with being caught, Luigi let out a quick sigh and ducked down lower.

"Do you think they heard that?" Mario whispered just a touch too loud.

"Yeah, I definitely heard that."

Luigi winced at his failure. Large hands yanked the couch off the floor before the Bros could react. A bushy mustache had been caught on a loose nail on the couch and lost a few tufts. Mario yelped in surprise. A shadow loomed over the brothers.

"Why are two hairy guys behind Mayor Ko's couch?" questioned a large Koopa lady, her hands on her hips. "Last time I checked, Threesome Night wasn't for another month." She shot an evil glare into Luigi's eyes. He scrambled to his feet and yanked his brother up. The Koopa's stare sent shivers down his spine.

"We're… uh…" Luigi started, his heart in his throat. His eyes darted about the room in search of something that he could use as a good lie. He gave Mario a desperate glance but his brother had nothing. "We're- ACK!" Luigi gasped as the Koopa clutched his throat and began to squeeze. Mario's eyes went wider than his brother's. The Koopa squinted, raising a tiny wand from her pocket.

"Red. Green. Lip warmers. You two look like the famous Mario Bros," grumbled she, her breath rustling Luigi's mustache hairs. "Are you cosplayers or something? Here to break in and act just as barbaric as the real twins?" Luigi's hands flung up to free his airways.

"With all due respect, ma'am," Mario said in a careful tone, "my brother cannot answer you properly if you are choking him." The Koopa whirled her head on her neck to glare at Mario, her face twisting into an ugly scowl. Too many seconds later, she let go of Luigi.

"There."

Luigi swallowed too much air trying to get it all back. Her fingers itching to grab him again, the Koopa waited for some kind of explanation.

"We- we are the real M-Mario Bros," Luigi managed to say. "And- and we, uh, we're looking for something here." The big Koopa's jaw tightened.

"Hmm," she said, skepticism lacing her voice, "if you're the real Mario Bros… then prove it to me!" She raised her fists with a glint of excitement now in her eyes, as if she hadn't had this much attention in years. She was aching to rough somebody up. Luigi gulped, sudden realisation slapping him in the face: _we don't have our hammers… we could die here!_

"First move!" shouted their opponent. Luigi and Mario gave each other glances. Luigi hoped Mario would, as per usual, shout an attack and expect his brother to go along with it, but Mario didn't.

"Mario?" He seemed distant at first, then snapped back into reality and gave Luigi a confused expression.

"I- I can't do this right now," Mario mumbled. "I don't feel right." He stepped away from the battle waiting to happen, shook his head, and darted out the room.

"Mario!" Mixed emotions swam about Luigi's head, fogging his focus. _Why did he-_ A large spinning shell right in the gut was enough to interrupt Luigi's thoughts.

"Red just abandoned you!" chuckled his attacker. "Last time I checked, the famous Mario wasn't a coward!" Luigi straightened his spine, swallowing back the hurt from his stomach and his feelings.

_I don't know what my brother is anymore, but I do know that-_

"He isn't a coward," he snapped. His heart pumping loudly in his ears, hatred for fighting alone fueled his fists- which weakly crackled with green fire and lightning.

"Okay," snorted the Koopa, "but are YOU?"

* * *

Two princesses trekked up the mountain. Princess Daisy didn't let her injured foot slow her pace, but she did let it dampen her mood. She kept her hands in her shorts pockets as she went, a scowl on her face.

_I could be at home right now, sipping tea and making sure my idiot servants don't kill my flower garden- _She stopped herself from thinking those selfish thoughts. _I'm here for my friends! I can't just let them handle this situation with I may or may not have indirectly slightly helped worsen it!_

"Do this for Luigi," Daisy murmured, turning back to gaze upon the post-trekked ground disappearing behind them.

_But he's been acting super weird- weirder than usual. I can help him solve this problem, but I can't help him with whatever he's got going on with himself. I can punch bad guys and act tough and protect his sweet face but I can't actually help him, can I?_

Daisy's frown darkened and she huffed away her rapid thoughts to focus on keeping up with Peach. The rough rocks felt like hell underneath her feet. She groaned.

"What are we looking for, again?" Peach didn't turn around to reply.

"Miraju. The item that Frackai requested." Daisy blank-faced and Peach had to sigh. "An artifact that the mayor of this little town supposedly holds possession of." Daisy snorted. Peach turned this time, flashing a humored look as she, for a second, pitied Daisy's lack of proper history knowledge.

"Toadsworth had always made sure that I, as a responsible leader, should know every detail about neighboring kingdoms and civilizations. It's respectful." She brought a hand to the shiny blue embellishment on her chest. Daisy crinkled her nose at the thought of studying history.

"You have such boring hobbies," she grumbled, although with a smirk. "It's been way too long since we've played a sport together." Peach gave a soft hum in response. _It has been a while, hasn't it?_ She opened her mouth to inquire about what sport but Daisy changed the subject.

"I meant, what in this moment are we looking for?" Peach stopped and Daisy halted to avoid a collision.

"An entrance," Peach replied. She kneeled down and tapped at the dirt in front of her. Daisy rolled her eyes.

"We're not in an adventure story, you can't just stumble across one right as you mention it-" Peach blew away the dirt and revealed a foggy skylight. She turned to her friend, who was frowning at her luck.

"Alright, I was wrong, so what, let's just go," Daisy hurried over her words, stepped past Peach, and kicked some glass.

* * *

Luigi tightened his fists and sized up his enemy. _Big scary-looking Koopa. Spikes on her back and wrist cuffs. Oh, there's a nametag- Enelle. _His stomach shrank, more than it already had. _She looks tough. I don't have my hammer with me. _After stopping himself from glancing at the door, Luigi did as his big bro would: bounced into the air and stomped Enelle's head. She growled, her tuft of green hair now flattened to her head. Sparks of fire emanated from her wand. A quick wave and fireballs bounced toward Luigi. He dodged with a yelp, barely missing one aimed for his leg. _Okay, now a jump attack. _He ignored all feelings in his head and just jumped, then again when an opportunity struck. After Enelle had enough, she balled up her fists and spoke up a spell.

"Wha…" came out of Luigi's confused mouth as he watched five Enelles cackle around him. Luigi squirmed, the heat of the faux crowd engulfing him. _Which one is real? Which one?_ His heart pulsed in his throat. His eyes darted back and forth between the Enelles. They waved their wands with swift flicks of their wrists. Luigi ducked- too late.

"OUCH!"

Luigi patted the flames off his hat, then focused on finding the real Enelle. A sharp blow to the gut knocked the focus out of him.

_Which one hit? Which one hit? _His mind raced while his pain faded. _Just jump on one- no, don't! She might hurt you! What if I hit this one? That one's blinks delayed! Er, no, that one!_

Luigi belted a cry of frustration, slamming his fists into the ground. A jagged shockwave of electricity zipped across the floor. The Enelles hollered in pain, then disappeared in a puff of smoke. The one that remained loomed over Luigi with an evil twitching sneer.

_I did it! _His relief was short-lived, as he had to pay attention. He dodged a punch and returned the gift. The built Koopa huffed, her thick skin having a harder time absorbing the damage since Luigi had shocked her. She shot into the air and nearly hit the ceiling trying to crush the little Italian. Luigi- oh, just barely missed getting squashed. The ground quaked under his feet.

"No!" he cried as he lost his balance. _Come on! We have to get through this! _Just as he was about to get up, down came Enelle's bulky body right on top of him. He wheezed. _Merda! Can't breathe!_ _I can't-_ Something caught his attention- a scream; unmistakable. Utter terror shook Luigi. _Mario? _He forgot everything in this moment. _Mario! _was the only thing rattling his brain. He hopped to his feet and took only a second to gain some breath. Then he let himself go. It felt like he was watching his own body at a distance, slamming his fist up into the jaw of a surprised Koopa bodyguard. She hit the ceiling, then the floor. Luigi didn't waste time checking on her.

"Mario?"

All fear of being spotted left Luigi. Mario was the only thing that mattered. _If he got hurt again… I can't- Don't think about it. Just find him._

He traversed down a short, simple hallway, occasionally stopping to listen for any sound cues.

_Why do I care if Mario forgets himself again? It's not like he cared about me when he was normal._

There were those thoughts again, creeping up like a ghost in an eerie mansion. Luigi swallowed them back. They didn't matter. Only Mario mattered. He heard rustling in a room to his right and froze. The door ajar, Luigi stepped up to the room but waited before entering.

_If there's another buff guard, I can't fight. I need rest._ Luigi stared at his warped reflection in the dim shine of the doorknob in front of him. Those staring eyes swirled like a dark winter breeze; cold and unfriendly.

"Why did you leave, Mario?" the whimper came out of Luigi's mouth involuntarily. That's not what he meant. _Why did he leave to get hurt in that mansion? If he had stayed home and waited for me to stop being a baby, everything would be oka-_

A flash of red through the crack of the door shut up Luigi's mind. He threw the door open, expecting the worst.

"You should try this, _fratello_," said Mario after licking his lips. The red-clad brother sat with crossed legs in the center of a room filled with... chocolate. Luigi stuttered over words, his shoulders untensing. "What- you- why-" Mario shoved another chocolate bar into his mouth. The wrapper fell into the pile of other wrappers in Mario's lap. The sight of him calmly eating felt somewhat relaxing to Luigi, but he kept up his guard. _He left me to take a snack break._

"Why did you leave me, Mario?" he asked in an accusing tone, though his voice cracked midway. Mario looked up with an expression like he'd forgotten before guilt crossed his face.

"Oh… I apologize for that." He scratched the nape of his neck. "I just felt… I didn't feel ready, and I thought, since you're the older brother, that you could handle it." His face fell. "You didn't get hurt, did you?" The last sentence struck Luigi into a trance and he took a second to break out of it.

"N-no, I'm okay," he mumbled. "I… handled it fine. I was-was just worried about you." He rubbed his side absentmindedly. A small part of him wanted to stay upset at Mario for running- Mario just doesn't do things like that. Luigi watched Mario grin at the notion that his oops was forgiven, then stuff another chocolate into his mouth. That brought up another concern for Luigi.

"Mario, this belongs to the mayor-"

"Who we haven't even seen here. What if this mayor isn't even real? Besides, it tastes really good." Mario held up a sugary treat for his brother. "Try it." Luigi eyed the candy, not noticing the drool in the corner of his mouth. It occurred to him that he hadn't really eaten much today.

"I really shouldn't," he said as the chocolate was already in his hand. He glanced over his shoulder, pulled back the foil, then took just a nibble of the treat.

A perfect bite, the sound pleasing to the ear- and the soft melt-in-your-mouth center! The sudden sweetness on an empty stomach brought a wrenching pain to Luigi's gut, but the taste of the chocolate was enough for him to forgive it. Almost.

"Mmm."

"See, I told you it was good."

Luigi forced himself to pocket the snack. "Okay, but M-Mario, we should really get going now. We still have to locate this-this artifact-thing."

Mario swallowed the last of his snack. "Oh. _Bene._ Well, let's-a go!" He shot to his feet with a triumphant smile. Luigi turned to the door, still licking sticky chocolate from inside his mouth. _Finally, we-_

Suddenly the floor was not there anymore. Luigi gasped- unable to scream- and grabbed at the air before he and Mario fell into a dark hole.

_Dammit! I should have known it was a trap_, Luigi thought bitterly. Before he knew it, his body landed in numbing cold water. Drifting back and forth, a simple star in the wide nothingness of an empty space- Luigi hoisted his aching body upright and shook his mind into the clear.

"Mario, are you okay?" he croaked. Standing slowly, Mario mumbled something about having a wet mustache. Luigi clung to the wall for a moment, then began to register that the wall was very close.

"This is fine," he spoke his thoughts aloud. "We can climb up." _It might be slippery though._

"Things could be worse," Mario tried.

"What do you mean by that?" Luigi barely responded as his focus was mostly on their escape.

"Well, this water could rise and drown us like rats." Right on cue, the water around their ankles began to rise. Luigi shivered at the cold and the feeling of helplessness crawling down his spine. "Mario…"

"This is nothing! Spikes could come out of the walls and stab us like- _MAMMA MIA!_" A hundred large spikes shot out of the walls, an uncomfortable two inches from impaling either of the Bros.

"Mario-" Luigi started as Mario's sweaty hair suffocated him.

"Well, at least-" Luigi shut Mario up with a firm hand over the mouth. The water rose to their waists.

"What do we do?" Mario's muffled voice came from behind Luigi's glove. The pressure, the cold- Luigi felt numb and dizzy. He could barely see his reflection in the dark water that seeped into his skin and chilled his bones.

_Sinking deeper and deeper, lungs filling up and about to explode, can't breathe, can't-_

"Luigi!" He snapped out of it with a gasp of air. _That wasn't real. Focus. _His eyes darted to the source of the water leak. It seemed to be coming from a tiny crevice at their feet. Luigi took another breath. _It's just a plumbing job that will kill us if we fail._ Luigi grasped one of the spikes and tried wiggling it loose. It gave almost too easily and Luigi had to force his legs to catch him from a lethal stumble. _Okay. I'm fine. Now, go! _He ducked underneath the water, squinting and holding his breath. _I can't see anything! _His panic stirred his stomach. He was going to vomit underwater, then drown. _No! _Luigi stood back up, the water now at his chest. Mario had to stand on the tips of his toes to keep the water off his chin.

"What if we waited for the water to rise and swam up?" he offered, his voice carrying his panic.

"Can't do that," Luigi breathed, "because the spikes. No room. We could get cut."

"Hello? Anyone in here?"

_That voice! _Luigi and Mario looked up hopefully. They were too far down to see much, but that pink blur was hard to miss. _How did Peach get in here?_

"D-down here!" Luigi tried to call, but his voice failed to produce a loud volume.

"Hey!" Mario attempted much louder. They heard a shriek, followed by Daisy complaining, "Who just puts a hole in the middle of the dessert room? That's **terrible **interior design!"

Luigi shouted again. Mario spat out water and clung to his brother. _Please, _Luigi's mind begged. _I can't die like this!_

"Wait, what was that noise?"

"Probably a dude stuck down there because they misstepped. Serves them right for putting a hole there."

"Daisy-"

The water felt almost squishy now, or was Luigi getting too exhausted in it? He forgot about the spikes and yelped as one reopened the cut on his cheek.

"Hey, I recognize that yelp! Luigi, Mario! Did you guys fall down there?"

"Yes!" Luigi managed to call with a weak tone. Mario straddled his brother's torso in an attempt to stay above the water. A rope unraveled above them but stopped a few feet up.

"Grab- oh, no, it's not long enough!"

Luigi reached up, ignoring spikes grazing his skin. He couldn't reach the rope.

"Mario!" he cried and hefted his brother onto his shoulders just as the water went past his neck. He had time to take one more gulp but Mario forced his head under. Luigi's lungs already screamed. _Too soon! Can't breathe! _The cool darkness surrounded him, along with itchy spike tips down his spine, and for a second he wondered what would happen if he succumbed to it. Pressure lifted from his shoulders. _Mario grabbed it!_ A rapid motion stirred the waters and Luigi flinched. The spikes weren't prodding his back anymore. Now with room to do so, he flailed his arms into a weak breaststroke. _Up! Up! _His mouth snapped open a millisecond before breaking past the water surface. He startled himself with the half-cough half-vomit gurgle that escaped his throat.

"You can reach it now! Get it!" Daisy called down. Seeing his three friends peering down at him, urging him to escape the inky waters... pride bubbled in Luigi's chest. _They don't want me to drown._

"Luigi!"

He snapped out of his trance. "O-oh, yeah!" With a soggy glove, Luigi grabbed onto the rope above him. But the water didn't want to let him go. Cold and heavy hands and fingers pulled him down- gravity and soaked clothes threatened to tear his arms from their sockets.

"G-go Weegee," he grunted through gritted teeth. _Was this hard for Mario, too?_ As he reached to climb higher up the rope, a hand closed around his. Soft and tiny. Delicate.

"I got you!"

Luigi looked up to meet eyes with Peach. His heart throbbed with a sudden jolt of electricity. _LET GO!_ screamed the back of his head. Other hands grasped Luigi's and yanked him out of the pit. Luigi fell against the wall with a splat. His body ached from passing adrenaline.

"That was dramatic," he mumbled.

"Yup," Daisy agreed. Mario looked up from wringing out his hat to add, "I'll be more cautious next time I enter a room full of candy." Daisy's eyes darted his direction, but Peach did not want to hear another argument.

"At least we're all okay and together again," she blurted before Daisy could say anything. "That's all that matters."

* * *

The quartet proceeded down the hallway, two of them with sloshy footsteps leaving trails of wet. They listened for any signs of people before opening doors. A shower ran on from behind one door, along with terrible singing.

"You think this mayor is in here?" Daisy asked, her hand too close to the door. She may have been considering opening it for kicks.

"We should probab-probably keep searching- while we have the t-time," Luigi said from behind everyone. He glanced over his shoulder for the umpteenth time. No doubt Enelle was up and about now.

"Luigi's right," Peach agreed. "We need to get the artifact and then get out without any more trouble."

"Please," Daisy chuckled too loudly. She added something else but Luigi wasn't tuning in anymore. A little ways down the hallway, he let himself wander. Tracing the long organized lines running up and down the walls with his eyes, Luigi began to wonder what had happened to this little town along the coast of the Mushroom Kingdom. _Was it Frackai who ruined this place? Or was it already in a bad condition before he came?_ He stroked his chin with a low hum, staring mindlessly at a door labelled _DO NOT ENTRE_.

_Why does he want this gem thing anyway? Will it give him more power? Is it capable of-_

"Luigi! You found where we needed to go!" He startled and whirled to face Peach and the others. _I found…? _He glanced back at the door then hated the sheepish grin that grew on his face.

"Oh, y-yeah, I did."

Daisy stepped past everyone and shoved open the door. Everyone peered around her, their eyes landing on the glass pedestal in the center of the room. Sunlight shined down on the rock crystal Miraju. Haphazard shapes of fiery red and burnt orange danced along the walls. The heart of Mount Kuromahu and the source of the chemical magic smell. This is what aids those who practice the ancient magic.

"It stinks in here," Daisy grumbled. Peach laughed in her glove. Stepping cautiously, the Bros approached their treasure. It looked so tiny and fragile- like just touching it would cause it to shatter into a million pieces. Luigi felt sharp tingles from the tips of his fingers the closer he got to Miraju. The feeling was liberating… a gentle stir of electricity that pumped blood to his hands.

"What is it?" whispered Mario, experiencing the same thing as his brother. "I want to touch it."

"It doesn't matter, let's grab it and go!" Daisy exclaimed and shot forward to do so but Peach stopped her with a hand.

"This is too easy," she said. Luigi whirled around, concern spiking his heart rate. _She's gonna jinx us!_

"We almost drowned," Mario pointed out. Peach opened her mouth to reply but Luigi spoke first.

"May-maybe we should just get it before-" The door creaked open. How cliché.

"THERE THEY ARE, BOSS!"

In front of a red-faced Enelle stood a man at Mario's height, wearing only a bathrobe. His one large eye glazed over each person in the room.

"Who have we here?" he asked, his voice calm but wavering- like he was trying not to panic.

"I'm-" Peach started but the young Mayor ignored her presence.

"The Mario Bros? Here? Can't be..."

Enelle's eyes burned holes into Luigi's face.

"They're fakers, I told you," she growled. Mayor Ko raised a hand to signify silence, getting a frown from Enelle. "Judging by your soaked clothes, I'd say we have some chocolate stealers."

Luigi swallowed. _Calm down, if we have to fight these guys, there are four of us, _he told himself. Daisy leaned into his ear and didn't bother to lower her whisper.

"We should grab the rock and get out of-"

"Don't!" the Mayor exclaimed, raising his hands. "You'll trigger- an explosion! Or something…" Luigi and Peach both increased their distance from the rock.

Daisy squinted. "You don't know what it does, do you?"

"No, I do, I do," Ko replied, rubbing his arm. "I think. They never really told me what would happen if someone picked it up, other than the whole 'don't touch it' thing."

"How did _you_ become Mayor?" Daisy asked rhetorically. Unfazed by her rudeness, Mayor Ko proceeded to explain rather quickly that no one wanted the position. Luigi heard their talking trail off and was about to drift into his own thoughts when he heard Mario.

"This rock doesn't seem to be doing anything."

Luigi choked on air. Everyone shut up and whirled, their eyes wide. Mario held Miraju with one hand. And everyone screamed.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"What the SHIT Mario!"

"Put it back, please Mario!"

"We could all be blown to bits now, thanks to YOU!"

Not thinking, Luigi snatched the crystal from his brother.

_We're going to blow up and die! We're going to die! _panicked his mind as he fumbled with Miraju to put it back onto its display. Mayor Ko peered around Enelle's crouched body. The princesses let go of their heads. Everyone's eyes bounced back and forth between each other and Miraju.

Perhaps one of them was going to say, "We didn't blow up!" but a voice from behind spoke first.

"That's disappointing! No ker-blooey!"

Luigi's blood ran cold. That voice- that high yet grating voice. Multiple emotions hit him at once- was he scared? Angry? His arms shook. Enelle and her boss pivoted to see who spoke, the former's eyebrows lowering. Shiny blue underneath that old cloak down the hall flickered in Luigi's view, twisting his stomach. He hoped he wasn't going to throw up. Mario's sudden rapid breathing didn't help.

"You," fumed Daisy, her fists tightened, "whatever-your-name-is." The intruder stomped his foot, displaying his spotless white teeth as he growled.

"It's-it's Frackai! You knew that! I'm the bad guy here!" He stepped closer to the doorway. The Mayor tensed.

"Why are there so many visitors today?" he mumbled, then spoke up, "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait until I deal with these-" Frackai screeched.

"SHut up, unimportant-character!" Then he adjusted his goggles and prepared himself for a good bad-guy cackle. "My friends, you have successfully located Miraju and endured the challenges along the way. Quest one: complete."

"We can go home now?" Daisy asked dryly. Frackai raised a finger like a scolding parent.

"In a little while. There's something I need to do here first." With a poof of sparkles, he teleported himself to the center of the room and plucked Miraju off its plinth. He tucked the prize in his pocket without a care for being gentle.

"Luigi…" Mario's voice was soft. Luigi flinched at his brother's fingers digging into his arm. His heart sank to his stomach seeing Mario with those eyes- the fear swirling in his pupils like lone curtains. _Not normal, _his brain knew.

"Please, stop," his mouth said without brain consent. _Wait, I didn't mean that!_

"But-"

Frackai snapped his fingers. The small room was now chock-full of various explosives. Not an inch of walking space. The Mayor screamed before fainting in his bodyguard's arms. Luigi and his friends bumped into each other, gasping and jumping back.

"Oh no," Peach murmured as everyone else was thinking the same thing. Luigi held his brother close, an involuntary action.

"Wh-we got your stupid gem!" Daisy protested, glowering at a grinning Frackai.

"Yes, but I was counting on it to trigger an explosion." He gave an annoyed sigh. "It seems I haven't done all my proper history studying." The bad guy shook off his annoyance and waggled his fingers. "Well, toodles." Before disappearing in glittered smoke, he snapped his fingers again. Every explosive was lit; every bomb was activated. Instantly.

Luigi swallowed bile. His knees threatened to crumple under his weight. _We're really gonna die now! I wasn't ready for it! _The world blurred as his body moved without him. He shouted something to his brother, whom he clutched very tightly. _We have to get out! _He stumbled into the hallway, his heart pounding in his ears. Something slammed him into the wall- a blur of green and white.

"I'll protect you, Mayor Ko!" Enelle's voice yelled from down the hall. Luigi's legs felt like jelly. He wanted to be like jelly; slide down the wall and sit in a puddle of failure-

"Come on!" Daisy shouted, yanking Luigi to his feet. Peach kicked open a door to a room with a large glass window that overlooked the illusion Fuzzy Forest. Luigi caught that fire of determination in both girls' eyes. Daisy whipped out Luigi's hammer and thrust it into its owner's hands. Luigi grasped it like he would a soggy potato. Exhaustion was catching up to him- there were two Daisy's standing there now, judging.

_I just want this to be over, _Luigi's brain whined. That thought stirred an anger in him. He slammed the head of the hammer into the glass and watched his ugly, horrid reflection shatter and scatter. Then the mountain exploded.

* * *

Princess Peach's dress billowed out around her, slowing her fall but barely. She struggled to catch a breath while she watched the others plummet. _Oh dear…_

_Drop and roll, drop and roll, spread the damage throughout your body_\- Daisy's brain scrambled panicked thoughts and actions as she fell.

Mario watched the ground zoom in with his organs in his throat. For a second, a crowd had flickered before his vision, along with a soccer field. _Huh?_

Luigi's body had activated shutdown mode some time after he'd been forcibly ejected from the mountain. He didn't remember when he hit the ground, or that any noise existed other than the crumble of rocks, or that the world was covered in growing black spots…

* * *

"Luigi?"

A silky voice reached out from the inky blackness of sleep. Luigi wanted to escape but it tugged his body deeper. _Sliding into a black hole, gently floating awa_-

"LUIGI!" His eyes shot open and he sat upright. Too fast. Dazed, he stared into bright blue eyes glossed with concern. Rosy cheeks. Peachy pink lips. He made a strange grunt and scooted backward, only to be interrupted by a stabbing pain in his thigh.

"Are you feeling any pain-" Peach began but Luigi interrupted.

"Is M-Mario okay?" He hugged his aching ribcage and gasped when something pricked on the inside.

"Mario will be fine," Peach said quickly. "I wanted to check on you." Luigi felt the black hole of sleep tugging the back of his head. _Not yet!_

"Ah… a-and what about Daisy? Is sshe o-okay?"

Peach looked over at a pile of glass and rubble a few meters away. Daisy, fine aside from some glass scratches and bruises, was trying to yank Luigi's backpack out from underneath a rock.

Peach pursed her lips. "She… I think she's alright. She's a tough one, you know."

Her tiny smile faded as her eyes drifted down to Luigi's leg. "Oh… ouch." Luigi looked down at the dark red blood staining his overalls. A thick glass shard had punctured his thigh. _Damn._ _That explains why it hurts._ He poked it. "Argh, _cavolo_!" The pain spread like spilled water. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes and he bit his lip to keep from crying in front of Peach. She noticed.

"I know it hurts, Luigi. You can cry if you feel like it."

"Thank you," he breathed, although tears had already begun to flow down his cheeks before Peach said anything. Peach replied with that sweet little smile of hers, then stood to check on Daisy. Luigi forced his lungs to take a heaving breath.

_I survived but I feel like shit._ He wiped his teary, muddy face and looked up in time to see Peach return with a healing mushroom.

"You can't eat it until we remove that piece of shrapnel," she explained. Luigi glanced back at his injury, his eyes barely focusing on it. _Remove it? Oh no no, that will hurt!_

"I-I'll be fine-"

"If I must remove it for you, I will," Peach intoned. Luigi kept quiet. Peach sighed and stood. "Or better yet…" She left and came back with Daisy.

"I can yank that little shiz out!" Daisy declared. Luigi gripped the grass underneath him, a wince crossing his face. _She won't be gentle!_

"Uh…n-no thanks-"

"Sweetheart, it needs to come out! It- here, lemme just-" She began to crouch but Peach lifted a hand.

"Wait, Daisy, maybe I should be the one to-"

"Nonsense! I can do it!" Before anyone had time to stop her, Daisy bent down and pulled the bloody shard. Luigi shrieked, his hands forcing Daisy's away. "Ow ow, that hurt!" Daisy backed away with wide eyes.

"My turn," Peach decided. Daisy scowled. Luigi's breathing began to pick up pace when the pink princess grew near. Her gentle breath rustling his mustache hairs, Luigi watched her remove her gloves and caught himself staring at her eyes again. Sparkling like millions of tiny stars in a tranquil sky. His breath began to slow. _Sleepy…_ Peach grasped the shrapnel while Luigi wasn't paying attention.

"Everything's going to be alright," she purred and Luigi mumbled unintelligibly.

_Everything's going to be-_

Peach plucked out the shrapnel.

"OWIE!" Luigi screamed, ripping out chunks of grass. Peach dropped the glass shard and used one of her gloves to tightly wrap Luigi's injury. Multiple curse words ran through Luigi's head. He bit his lip so hard it began to bleed.

"All finished," Peach said and handed Luigi the mushroom. He stared at its lifeless eyes. Eating it without a deadly injury seemed like such a waste. The black beady eyes stared back, unblinking. _Do you feel pain?_

"Luigi-"

"I don't want this," he answered. "I don't want to waste it." Daisy rolled her eyes and swiped the mushroom from his hands. Then she shoved it into his mouth. Luigi coughed up a few morsels, his lungs hating him. Peach glared at Daisy, who yelled in a sing-song voice, "All better now!" She outstretched a hand to help up Luigi. He wobbled, his legs crying for mercy and his head still calling sleep. Good news: his thigh no longer felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing it with a thousand-degree knife.

"Thank you," he said, "both of you." They both beamed.

The three approached Mario's body, all hoping he was okay. The red-clad man's head had red all over, as something had cut across his face and nose. He wore a twisted grimace and kept his hands balled up. Luigi shrivelled up inside.

"Mario," he called softly and dropped next to him. "Mario, I'm here." His words wavered, his eyes welling up with tears. _Not again… How much has he lost this time?_

"M-Mario?" The downed brother's eyes fluttered open. His dull eyes took a moment to land on his brother, his expression flashing what seemed like relief then annoyance.

"I told you I didn't like that name," he insisted. "My name is Stano."

Luigi forgot how to breathe. _He's… not himself anymore. _He shook his head and turned away from the man who was no longer his brother.

"Just when he was starting to be himself again," he rasped, his body trembling. He released a cry of anger that startled the girls nearby and stormed off. The tears were returning; burning his eyes. Luigi wished he would melt away like the pain had in his leg.

_I'm never going to get my brother back, am I?_

* * *

"Wow!" E. Gadd exclaimed through a mouthful of chips. "You are an amazing storyteller, Luigi!" The tired Italian man rubbed the nape of his neck. "Uh… thanks? Anyway, y-yeah, that's what happened."

Gadd ate another chip before replying. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Waiting for th-the bad guy to give us another quest," Luigi yawned. He rubbed his eyes and stopped himself from glancing at sleeping Mario again. _Not yet._

"Well, in the meantime, why not get some well-deserved shut-eye-"

"NO!"

E. Gadd startled in his chair. Luigi rubbed his arm. "I mean, n-not yet. I can't let myself get vulnerable. I have to protect Mario from getting worse, remember?" E. Gadd grunted.

"Okay, but your body will shut down on you if you don't recharge it, sonny." He giggled. "Like what I did there- I- n-nevermind." He paused to eat another chip. "You better-" The feed suddenly glitched out. Luigi yelped, his shoulders tensing. Through the static he saw E. Gadd knock a flask off his desk with his flailing arms, whatever inside of it spilling into his drink.

"Professor E. Gadd?" he called, his voice cracking with worry.

_A ghost?_ he thought, chewing his fingernail. _Or worse, Frackai is targeting him!_

The screen flashed and fizzled before returning to normal, albeit sideways. E. Gadd slumped in his chair and put his glasses back on his face. Upon seeing Luigi's frightened expression, he laughed.

"That was just your Polterpup, being a nuisance as usual! Don't look so alarmed!" Luigi glanced around his house, now realizing that Bravo was not there anymore.

"O-oh, I'm sorry," he spat out, rubbing his nose. _I forgot that ghost dogs can teleport anywhere. So Bravo's been bothering E. Gadd?_ He sighed. _That's another mess-up of mine. I hope he hasn't caused too much troubl-_

A knock on the door interrupted Luigi's thoughts. He quickly said his goodbyes to E. Gadd, then got up to answer it.

"Oh- h-hi, Daisy." She gave him a smile before letting herself in his house.

"Peach's guest rooms haven't been rebuilt yet," she explained, "so I don't really have anywhere to stay." She fluttered her eyelashes at Luigi. "Can I stay with you?" Luigi's brain spewed thoughts in his head.

_We could finally have alone time. But I don't feel up to it. I have to make sure Mario sleeps okay. If he has a nightmare, I'll be there to comfort him. But Daisy can still stay here, I guess. I don't know how she'll take a no, anyway._

"Uh, s-sure. _La mia casa è la tua casa_."

She fist-pumped the air and squeezed Luigi. "Thank youu! Lemme just grab my bags!"

Luigi watched her skip down the sidewalk. Her bright and bubbly attitude caused a smile to grow on his face that he didn't notice until his cheeks hurt. _I guess her being here isn't too much of a bad thing._ His grin faded with his next thought. _I don't want to mess this up._

* * *

King Bowser Koopa trudged out of his bedroom, scratching the scruffy red beard that had grown on his face. His stone-tiled bathroom was riddled with scratches and scorch marks from the times he'd pitched fits, and he hated the sight but never bothered to do anything about it. He yawned as he lathered soap in his large hands and scrubbed his face. Then he splashed it with sink water and applied shaving cream- he loved the kind that smelled like burnt wood. As he scrounged the junk drawer for his trusty electric shaver, he dove into his thoughts.

_Today is a new day, Bowser. A day where you could finally have the beautiful Princess Peach in your claws. You got this. Shave that damn ball of fuzz off your face, help Junior with last-minute homework he should have finished last night, then it's time for scheming. Evil scheming._

He cackled deeply, then plugged in his shaver and flicked the switch to turn it on. Okay, time to- The lights flickered before shutting off completely, along with his shaver. Bowser growled. _The power's out?_

"KAMEK!" he bellowed, searching for the old Magikoopa.

"Yes, your evilness?" replied Kamek shortly after zipping there on his broomstick.

"The power's out. Go send a minion to check on it."

"The Koopa Kids were supposed to notify you if the Magma Convertor was shut off for repair. I'll have their heads for this…" Kamek flew away while Bowser just sighed.

"I'll dock their paychecks for this," he grumbled. He walked off, his throat burning and demanding he release some flames. He forced smoke from his nostrils with a loud huff, then went a little ways down the hall to visit his son's room.

"Hey, Junior-"

"Papa, there's something wrong with the TV," interjected the juvenile, pointing to the black screen. Bowser rubbed his unshaved facial hair.

"There's a power outage."

"Oh." Bowser Jr shrugged. "I guess I can play my Switch. I'm pretty sure I charged it last night." He picked up his console and pressed the on button, only for nothing to light up. "NOO! What will I do now?!" Bowser picked up the boy's backpack with a stern frown.

"You can start with last night's homework."

"Awwww, but-" whined Bowser Jr only to shut up with one raised finger from Dad.

"No buts. It's almost time for school. And you know what I said: if you get worse than a C-"

"-video games I won't see. I know, Papa. Alright, I'll do it." Bowser Jr took the backpack with a pout. Bowser grinned.

"Good. I'll see you later, son. Love you."

"Love you too," his son called back before he shut the door. Bowser turned to go down the hallway and nearly bumped into Kamek.

"Argh! You scared me!"

"I apologize, your vileness," Kamek said, then began to explain: "The Koopa Kids are not at their posts! I found Roy but he was not at his post blasting his awful pop music through his headphones!" Bowser tightened his jaw._ First the power, now no Koopa Kids?_

"What about-"

"And to make matters worse, the Magma Convertor is GONE!"

Bowser blinked. "Gone? What-what do you mean, it's gone? A big-ass machine like that can't just DISAPPEAR!" He swallowed the bile rising in his burning throat, trying not to have a fit. Kamek wrung his hands.

"I also spoke with a few minions and there have been rumors of a recent break-in."

"BREAK-IN?!" Bowser fumed, stomping his foot. "IMPOSSIBLE! THE ONLY BREAK-INS WE GET ARE WHEN THE MARIO BROS-" He stopped. Kamek cocked his head. Then Bowser let out a hearty chuckle, smoke coming out of his nose.

"I bet those spaghetti-shitheads are playing tricks on ol' Bows'. I didn't even capture the princess yet! But they want to play dirty, eh? Fine. Let's play." With that, he laughed his final-boss laugh.

"BWA HA HA! GET READY, MUSHROOM KINGDOM! BOWSER'S COMING TO TOWN!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_What will be the next life-threatening event that Luigi and friends will have to endure? And what does the evil King Bowser have in store for the MK? Next chapter!_

Yes, new chapter! Very long to _kinda_ make up for me not posting it for a while! Quarantine has been _very _stressful! A lot of awful things have been going on in the world... sometimes I wish it would just blow over and everyone would forget like how children fight over toys. But I know it's more complicated than that.

Stay safe and protected, readers, and know that you are important no matter what color or sexuality you are!


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